Destructions Wake
by Porter-Fuzz1218
Summary: Many years have passed since Eragon Shadeslayer has left. Many things have changed. New conflicts have arisen and many trials have just begun. What can be held onto if all that is once held dear is destroyed? What hope is there if the thing that you had your hope placed in is corrupt? What chance do any of us really have? That's the thing... we're about to find out. Rating from:T-M
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"The history is one that everyone knows. What happened next, that's where everything gets messed up. A lot of advances have been made but civilization here in Alagaësia remains the same as ever. Everyone knows that Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, defeated Galbatorix and helped the Varden defeat the Empire. Simple, right? Who would have thought that three hundred years later the very allies that had helped the Varden would turn on them. No, not the elves or the dwarves. Nor was it the werecats or Urgals. We're looking at Surda. A hundred years ago, the Surdans built a wall along the border of Alagaësia and Surda. But, here's where the conflict comes in. The Surdan king one hundred years ago, King Orin the Third (Orin the Bandit as he's called here) took the islands to the southwest: Illium, Uden, Nia, Beirland, and Parlim. He also forcefully took Feinster, Melian, and up to Furnost.

The Wall of Surda spans from the coast of the sea where the Spine ends, curves around Furnost and the lake that it is on and ends at the Beor Mountains. Massive, isn't it? From there peace talks broke out to try and gain the land seized from Orin the Bandit back. The messenger was sent back in pieces. Tales speculate on how many pieces were sent back to the court of Nasuada's decedents and the tales very depending on whom is telling it. In response to the violence, our queen, Queen Nefeteri, formed the Rangers.

The Rangers are supposed to be what the Riders used to be. The difference, they don't have dragons to help them out. Despite Eragon finding the hidden stash of dragon eggs, no new Riders have emerged. Wild dragons have come back in full force, but if anyone becomes a Rider they're sent to wherever it is Eragon Shadeslayer disappeared to. With the half-century mark, a new weapon was brought into play: a gun. The dwarves had found something that when ignited in an enclosed space created a lot of pressure and could launch a projectile faster than an arrow and with more lethality. The downside of this development was that these weapons were louder, less accurate, and the projectile could usually only be used once.

Another thing that has changed over the centuries is that magicians are nearly extinct in the human race. The reason as to what caused this is completely unknown. Speculation on that stems from the final encounter between Eragon and Galbatorix with the revelation of the Word," the storyteller paused and looked at his young crowd. All between the ages of eight and ten years of age. "Does anyone care to take a guess on what happened next?" A ten-year-old boy sitting away from the rest of the group with a boy of similar build raised his hand. "Yes?"

"The Surdans declared war on us fifty years ago," the young boy said. "There have yet to be any battles."

"Very good," the old storyteller acknowledged. "What is your name, boy?"

"Luke, sir," the child answered.

"Who are you here with?"

Luke looked at his companion who merely shrugged and looked away. "My twin brother, Jacen," Luke said.

_Interesting,_ the teller of tales thought. _Twins are a rarity these days. _"Glad to meet the both of you," he said. "My name is Marek the Spinner."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Luke said.

"Well, children, that's all I have for today's story," Marek said with a slight smile. He stood up from his seat and walked away with limp.

Marek walked to his humble abode and pondered the fact that there were twins in this village. _Maybe it's a good omen. The last time twins were born in this village, Eragon Shadeslayer emerged and destroyed the undying king. I wonder what could happen now?_

"Why do you think the storyteller wanted our name?" Jacen asked his older twin as they walked home.

Luke shrugged as they walked. "I don't know," he replied. "Twins are rare."

"I know that," Jacen said rolling his eyes. "I'm wondering why he was curious about _us_!"

"You're always curious, Jacen," Luke said with a slight smile.

"You're not curious enough," Jacen shot back.

"Do you think that Ben has gotten better?" Luke asked.

"I hope so, mamma said that he would be feeling better today."  
>"Why did we get weird names?"<p>

"What?"

"Why did we get weird names?" Luke asked again stopping. "Don't you think that it's odd that the three of us are named differently than everyone else?"

"Not really," Jacen said looking his twin in the eye. "I just want to know if you got that apprenticeship or not."

"I doubt it," Luke said looking away. "They don't take ten year olds."

"They should," Jacen said firmly.

"Come, let us get home before mother worries."

**Two Days Later:**

"Luke, you have a visitor!" a woman called from the doorway that led to the backyard.

"Coming, mama!" Luke yelled back.

Luke came walking through the small dining area and saw a tall man standing there and he was in armor. Luke swallowed nervously. "Luke, this is Ranger Fennik," the woman said moving a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hello," Luke said in a small voice.

"So, you're the one that asked me to join the Rangers?" the man asked in a deep, quiet voice.

"Yes, sir."

"I've come to tell you that you've been accepted," the Ranger said.

"He's been what!" Luke's mother exclaimed in shock.

The Ranger looked at the distraught mother and said, "He's actually the first ten-year old that has approached us to ask for training. So, we're accepting him."

"How long will he be away from his family?"

"Depends on how quick of a learner he his," Fennik said. He turned to the eager looking boy and said, "Go and pack your things, you have until before midday."

"Yes, sir!" Luke said happily before running back to where he had been before.

"What's the real reason?" his mother asked.

"The real reason?"

"For taking my eldest son."

"His father asked for him to be admitted."


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to thank ** **for the follow of this story. **

** :** glad that you find it interesting so far.

**DarkMando: **I hope I can keep your attention.

**Troynass: **I plan on continuing this story, don't worry.

"_Italics"_ = Ancient Language Speech

Chapter 2

_Seven Years Later…_

I was standing on a precipice of Helgrind overlooking the city of Dras-Leona wearing a black hooded cloak. My blue eyes searched the wall and the road coming towards the massive rock structure that once housed the creatures known as the Ra'zac. My mentor should be returning anytime now. A gust of wind came and blew my hood off of my head and ruffled my medium length black hair. I quickly put the hood back up and drew the cloak in tighter to prevent the icy fingers of the wind from penetrating and stealing my heat. Movement caught my eye to my left and I un-holstered one of the flintlock pistols that were on my torso. I aimed to the left and heard my mentor's chuckling. "Lower the gun, Luke," his deep voice said. A specter emerged from the rocks and my master removed his hood, revealing graying brown hair, a graying brown beard, and deep brown eyes.

"Sorry, master," I said holstering the pistol back where it belonged. "Did you find anything?"

"The Surdan militant that we've been tracking has now headed towards Teirm," my master replied. "It's rumored that he's planning on burning down the shipyards."

"That'd set us back," I said. "When did he leave?"

"Two days ago."

"A two day head start, is he on foot or on a horse?"

"Horse."

"So are we," I said. "We can catch him in three days if we leave now, ride hard, and pace ourselves."

My master raised an eyebrow and said, "Remember your place, Luke. You're still an apprentice at this point. But you're correct. So that's what we'll do."

"Sorry, master," I said bowing my head.

"Go fetch the horses," my master said.

I nodded and jumped down from the precipice I was standing on. I rolled as I landed to minimize the impact and got to my feet. I heard a similar soft impact behind me and knew that my master had followed. I untethered the horses and mounted my borrowed horse as my master mounted his. My master urged his horse into a gallop and I followed his lead.

We rode throughout the night and settled our horses into a canter as we rode through the morning and afternoon of the next day. There wasn't any communication between my master and me. I knew I had slightly overstepped my boundaries as an apprentice, but I said what I felt, I always had. Sometimes I did wonder why the Rangers took a ten year old as an apprentice when they typically took apprentices at the age of fifteen. I had learned quickly though, extremely fast I was told. By the age of fifteen I had become an expert marksman with the bow and arrow, flintlock pistol, musket, throwing knives, and crossbows. By the age of sixteen, which was only a year ago, I had become very proficient at the art of fencing and strategy. There were whispers that I would become a full-fledged Ranger by the time I turned seventeen. Here I was, seventeen years old and still an apprentice to the man who had recruited me. I trusted my master's judgment of my skills, but I felt cheated and that I was being held back. I was one of the few Rangers that could use magic. I was taught how from an early age, ten to be precise, and I was very adroit at it.

"We'll rest here for an hour," my master's voice broke through my thoughts.

"What?" I asked stirring.

My master chuckled. "We'll rest here for an hour," he repeated. "Let the horses catch their breath, eat, and rehydrate."

"Of course, master," I said.

We slowed the horses down to a walk before dismounting and led them to the edge of Leona Lake. "You've been silent the entire ride," my master pointed out.

"There's been nothing to say," I said.

"There seems to be a lot on your mind, young one," he said.

"When isn't there, master?" I asked with a slight smile.

"That's true," my master laughed. "But enough of that, tell me what is bothering you."

"I feel like I'm being held back," I said softly.

"Held back?" my master repeated in a tone I couldn't quite place. He sighed and rubbed his temples. "I suppose that it's my fault that you're feeling that way. The truth is, I have been holding you back."

"Why?" I asked looking in my master's eyes.

"Even though you are the most skilled Ranger I have ever met, the Council would use you as a weapon. I don't think that you could bear that burden on your own just yet. In fact, the Council has deemed it time that you are to become a Ranger, not just an apprentice. I took you on this mission in hopes that it would change their minds. They haven't."

"A weapon?" I asked.

"Surda is becoming more bold," my master said meeting my eyes. "It's only a matter of time before a full scale conflict erupts. You're one of four Rangers who can use magic, you're in the top percent of the Rangers in marksmanship _and_ swordplay. Not to mention you're the top percent when it comes to strategy. You'd be a dangerous weapon if unleashed."

I remained silent as I contemplated it. "Our hour is almost up," I said. "I believe we should get going, master."

My master sighed and said, "Very well, we'll discuss more after the mission."

"Yes, sir."

We gathered the horses and started our hard riding once again. The day blended into night and the night blended into day. We slowed down and stopped for an hour to let our horses rest once again. I knelt down by a set of tracks and saw that they were relatively fresh. "Master," I called.

"Yes?"

"These tracks are fresh," I said.

"Farmers?"

"No."

"Travelers?"

"No. I'm not sure what these are. The tracks are meant to look like they're going in single-file, yet some of them are double-stamped and not neatly overlapped."

My master walked to where I was kneeling down and saw what I was looking at. "I see," he said. "Then it seems that we're not far…"

"What…"  
>"Shh," he whispered. "<em>We're being watched<em>."

I heard a twig snap to my right and I searched with my mind and found someone was indeed watching. I saw in his mind that he held a crossbow and was slowly inching out from the cover of the trees. I muttered a spell under my breath and I felt his life extinguish. I expanded my radius and found ten others. All armed, all from Surda. "_Ambush_," I said. "_I got one of them._"

"_What are they armed with?_"

"_The remaining ones as far as I can tell, swords,_" I replied.

"Come on out," my master called switching back from the Ancient Language into the common tongue.

"Are you mad!" I exclaimed harshly.

"That's still up for debate," my master replied in a calm tone.

I stood up and unsheathed my sword and dagger as ten men in Surdan armor emerged from the woods. "Well, well, well," one of them said. "What do we have here?"

"Looks like two Rangers," another said.

"One of them killed Jærok," said a third.

"So, a magi is among you? Interesting," the first one said unsheathing his broadsword.

"Shall we get this over with?" my master asked in a bored tone.

"Eager to die?" the second asked.

I glanced over at my master and saw that he had his grey hood down. "Information," my master said cryptically.

"What?"

Before any one could react, me included, my master un-holstered one of his flintlock pistols and shot the second guy in the head. Blood erupted from the back of his head as the bullet passed through. The man with the broadsword yelled, "Attack!"

The remaining nine charged forward and I blocked an attack with my dagger, spun on my heel and stabbed backward with my sword. I pulled my sword out of my fallen foe and blocked the next attack from another Surdan militant. I made an X with my sword and dagger, supported the attackers sword with the dagger and then kicked my attacker in the groin. I stabbed him in the head with the dagger and pulled the dagger out. I evaded the next blow and saw it was the broadsword carrying man. He had to be the leader.

We circled each other before he charged forward. I evaded the blow by rolling on the ground and as I rose I turned around and stabbed him through the back with my dagger and sword. I pushed up and then yanked my sword and dagger out, letting the dead body fall to the ground. I instinctively spun and caught the next attack with my sword and kicked the knee of the man attacking me. He cried out in pain as I spun away and got behind him, severed his Achilles tendon, and then cut his throat. I saw a man running towards me and I just threw my dagger. It embedded in his forehead and he collapsed to the ground dead.

I un-holstered one of my pistols and shot a man in the knee. He cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground, holding his wounded knee. I holstered the pistol and walked to retrieve my dagger. I pulled it out of the fallen man's head and wiped the blood off on his tunic. I surveyed the damage done and saw that nine of the ten men were dead. My master approached the man I had shot in the knee, and I started searching the corpses to see if they had anything of value, like ammunition or information about what they were doing, on their person. I found nothing.

"Luke," my master called.

"Yes, master?" I asked.

"Burn the bodies," he said.

I nodded. I went to where the man I had killed with magic was in the woods and threw him over my shoulder. I carried him out of the woods and tossed the carcass on the ground. I searched his person to see if he had any ammunition or information, he too had nothing. I went and gathered the other ten dead bodies and piled them on top of one another. "Brisingr," I muttered pointing my right hand at the pile.

Silver fire leapt from my hand and engulfed the dead. I watched the bodies burn for a while before I went to where my master was interrogating the captured Surdan. "What was your purpose in Teirm?" he demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the man spat.

My master sighed. "I was hoping we could do this the easy way," he said softly before swiftly stomping on the man's injured knee. The man howled in pain and started cursing. "Now, tell me what I need to know!" my master demanded, his voice harsh and cold.

"Go to hell!" the man screamed. My master reached down and put his fingers in the entry wound and dug around. The man screamed. My master's face remained impassive and emotionless.

"Why were you heading to Teirm?" my master asked.

"To destroy the shipyards there," the man whimpered.

"We know that already, what else!"

"Raze the wharfs," the man said with tears in his eyes.

"Anything else?" my master asked digging his fingers in the wound once again.

"NO!" the man screamed.

"Alright then," my master said standing up and then shot him in the head.

I winced and glared at my master, "Why did you do that!" I demanded.

"What more information could he have granted us?" my master asked reloading his pistols.

"I don't know! You didn't have to kill him!" I exclaimed. "You could've had me erase his memories!"

"And have you overexert yourself?" my master snorted. "I don't think so."

"That's not taxing on me anymore! I'm not thirteen anymore!" I growled. "You didn't have to kill him!"

"He was a threat, even if we let him go, he was still a threat," my master said re-holstering his pistols. He bent down and picked up the dead body, throwing it over his shoulder. He walked over to the burning bodies and threw the body on the fire. "If you're going to be a full-fledged Ranger when we get back, you're going to have to make the same calls I just did."

"Shooting a defenseless man in the head?" I challenged. "If I had known about this, I don't know if I would've wanted to join!"

"Do you know why we accepted you at the age of ten?" my master asked.

"No, I don't," I replied shaking my head. "I am curious about it though."

"Your father asked us to admit you," my master replied.

"You know my father?" I asked.

"Yes," my master answered.

"Have I met him?"

"No," my master said softly. "He doesn't reside with the Rangers."

"Oh," I said sadly.

"Come on, we need to head back once the bodies are finished burning," my master said.

"Of course, master," I said.

It was another two hours before we left the bloody and burnt scene behind. I had gathered all of the weapons and tied them to the pack that was on my horse. Leave no weapons to trace that, was one of the major rules of the Rangers. We continued on to Teirm and found my master's ship docked in the shipyard, the _Urzhad_, where we had left it and boarded the ship. Why my master named it after the giant bears from the Beor Mountains, I will never know. It was an impressive ship though. It had sixteen cannons on either side, two chase cannons in the front, two mortars in the front, and the best hull that could be found, a mixture of iron and the hardest wood that could be found in all of Alagaësia.

With that, the horses were left on the docks and my master retired to his cabin as I searched my ammunition pouch for bullets. I found that I still had three left and that I'd have to restock once we got back to Sharktooth Island. My ammunition pouch could hold thirty of the little steel balls and I let out a sigh as I reloaded the two pistols that I had on me. I holstered them across my chest and shook my head. It would be another three days before we reached Sharktooth, three days of sailing and/or rowing for the forty-men that my master commanded. I lowered my hood and headed to the crew's quarters and found a bunk to lay on. _Might as well get some sleep,_ I thought as I approached the hammocks.

**Author's Note:**

**I've drawn heavy inspiration from the game series **_**Assassins Creed**_**, especially **_**Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag **_**and **_**Assassins Creed: Rouge**_**. I don't own the rights to those video games, Ubisoft does. The way that Luke holsters his pistols across his chest is similar to the way that Edward Kenway from **_**Black Flag**_** holsters two of his. I don't own the characters from any of those games, just throwing that out there, but if you notice similarities, that's where it's coming from. Also if there is anybody out there that can do some cover art for me, I would very much appreciate that.**

**Please R&R**


	3. Chapter 3

"_Italics_" = Ancient Language in Speech

_Italics_ = thoughts

Don't Own Alagaësia or Surda (Though I wish I did) they belong to Mr. Paolini

Chapter 3

_Two Days Later…_

I knocked on my master's cabin doors and he opened them and looked at me with an askance look on his face. "You said that we'd talk after the mission," I said. "It's after the mission. I'm here to talk."

"Very well," my master said stepping aside and motioning for me to walk into his cabin.

He closed the door after I walked in and we approached the table he had set up. It had a map of Alagaësia spread on it, along with charts that I recognized to be of navigation and other maritime items. Master Fennik sat on his chair behind the table and motioned for me to sit on the chair facing him.

"You wish to talk, so talk," he said.

"Master, you told me that the Council was going to unleash me as a weapon, what did you mean by that?" I asked looking at him.

My master sighed and rubbed his temples. "I told you your statistics, did I not? With those you should easily be able to figure out why the Council would believe you to be a perfect weapon against the Broddring Kingdom's enemies," he said looking down at the map of Alagaësia. "They'll make you the focal point of everything. They might ask for your advice in war councils, they might even send you to Ilirea as the personal advisor to the monarch! Gods above and below, the Council might just give you free reign to do as you wish and contact you every once and a while to give you a mission."

"It'll be that bad?" I ventured.

"It might not be, it might be worse," my master grumbled.

"Am I as good as I am because of who my father is?" I asked. My master stiffened so slightly it was almost not noticeable, almost. "Who is he?"

"Do you remember him?" Master Fennik asked.

"I…" I paused and closed my eyes. _A warm smile, a gentle laugh, warm blue eyes_. "Not much."

"You might meet him someday," my master said. "That's my hope anyway. I believe I answered your question on how the Council was going to utilize you as a weapon?"

"Not even close," I mumbled.

"What was that?"

"No, you gave me roundabout answers," I said louder and looking in my master's eyes. "I want straight answers for once. Can I be entitled those for once in my life!"

"Very well," my master said darkly. "A Ranger of your strength and power would be expected to be at the frontline, doing the most damage against the Broddring Kingdom's enemies. You'll be expected to execute anyone and everyone if need be. In every sense, you will become someone that you will not recognize from the person you used to be. You will become a killer without a conscience. You'll be at the frontlines, in the middle of every foray, killing at will. Unchecked, unchallenged, killing every person deemed too dangerous to be left alive or an enemy of the state. You will become in every essence, the sword of the Council and of the Kingdom. The judge, the jury, and the executioner. Does that give you a straighter answer?" I was too shocked to answer that query. My master stood up from his chair and left me sitting in his quarters.

When I finally found the wits to move again, I went straight to the crew's quarters and found my hammock. I staid there the rest of the voyage to Sharktooth Island and to my home for the past seven years, Wyrda. Why it was called "Fate" in the Ancient Language, I doubt anyone will ever figure that story out. But, as soon as we docked, I took my belongings and headed to my quarters and awaited my summons from the Council. I didn't have to wait very long, I had to wait a day.

Apprehension was starting to set in as I walked through the marble halls lined by giant stone columns towards a room that would lead me to the Council and from there I would take my vows and swear them in the Ancient Language. I would also receive armor, a new sword if I wished and a gift the Council deemed me worthy of. I stopped in front of the large bronze doors and took a deep breath before I slowly let it out. I waited patiently for the door to open and when it did, I walked through.

The Council was made up of the twelve highest ranking Rangers, and the most experienced. It was a circular room and the twelve chairs were arranged so that they formed a U around the perimeter of the room, with the two highest-ranking Rangers sitting across from the entrance of the door. The roof of the room was a large glass dome that let nature reflect through. The dome was protected with wards that prevented hail damage or tree limbs from breaking it. Lanterns were scattered behind the massive chairs that the council members sat in for when the weather was bad and when storms struck the island. The walls were made of quartz or some type of stone and the floor was made of limestone. I stopped in the middle of the room and knelt. "Apprentice Luke," a light voice said. "We have deemed you worthy of joining the ranks of the Ranger elite. Do you accept?"

"I do," I replied.

"Remove your hood and look upon your elders," the voice instructed.

I did as I was told and looked at the two Rangers that held the highest rank and position on the council and in the corps. I saw that one was an elf with long black hair and blue eyes, and the other was a man with a graying red beard and a baldhead. The man spoke up in a gruff, deep, voice: "Do you swear to uphold the traditions of the Broddring Kingdom, protect its people in times of peace and in times of war?"

I saw that he was wearing chainmail, red and black greaves and bracers, a red tunic with an odd symbol on it, and a sword on his right hip. "_I do_." I swore in the Ancient Language.

"Do you pledge to serve your monarch and follow all orders given to you?" the elf asked me in the light voice. It was almost inhuman. In fact, it was inhuman.

"_I do_," I swore.

"And do you swear to uphold the traditions of the Ranger Corps, even unto death?" both the man and the elf asked at the same time.

"_I do_."

"Arise, Luke Ranger of the Broddring Kingdom," the elf commanded. "Remove your sword and present it to us."

I unclipped the sheathe from the belt and walked towards the elf and the man and knelt once more, proffering the sword to them. It was taken from me and I was given a gesture to rise. "If you would follow Elder Thínor and myself," the bald man said.

I nodded as I was led out of a side door and into another room, this one smaller than the Council room, but just as grand. Sitting there on an armor rack was a set of black plate armor with a silver raven etched on the breastplate. Next to the armor was a black kite shield with the silver raven etched onto it and a sword. "May I?" I asked cautiously.

"You may," Elder Thínor said with a slight smile.

I approached the sword and picked it up. The scabbard was black and had a silver chape and locket. There was a melanite set in the pommel that was ringed in gold. The hand-and-a-half hilt was wrapped in black leather and the cross-guard formed a sideways S. The cross-guard was a golden color and had a melanite set at each end of the S. I unsheathed the sword and was amazed at how light it felt compared to the other one that I had previously owned up to this point. I was also amazed that the blade had a double fuller spreading from the rain guard to the central ridge. The curve of the sideways S on the right side reached to the knuckle of my middle finger, protecting my hand from blows as well as providing me with an opportunity for a quick counterattack.

"Thank you," I said with sincerity bowing my head as I turned and faced the two elders.

"What will you name your sword?" the bald elder asked me.

"I don't know Elder…"

"Aelmrail," the man answered.

I sheathed the sword and looked at it. This was a beautiful instrument of death…death! "I think that I'll name it _Freohr_," I said solemnly.

"You'll name your sword death?" Aelmrail asked.

"Yes," I said. "For what other purpose will it serve than to be a harbinger of peace and death?"

"None."

"Then your sword shall be named," Thínor proclaimed. He chanted a spell that I was not familiar with and I glanced down at my sword. I saw that the symbol for death in the Ancient Language had been engraved into the cross-guard and into the scabbard. "The armor will be moved to your quarters, but there is one more gift that we wish to present to you."

"I do not think that I am worthy…"

"You are the most worthy that we have trained in the past fifty years," Aelmrail said with a huff. "Trust us, you deserve this, Captain."

_Captain?_ I thought.

I was led to yet another door that led outside. Elders Thínor and Aelmrail led me to the docks and I saw an un-named black frigate, with red lining. With the way the frigate was docked, the stern was facing towards the two Elders and myself with the prow facing the open sea. "What do you wish to name her, Captain Porter?" Aelmrail asked.

_Porter,_ I thought with a little bit of contempt. I only had that as a second-name because I was a bastard child and my mother worked as a porter. My brothers bore that as a surname as well. "I'll name her _Shadow_," I said.

"We'll have that painted on the stern within the hour, Captain," Aelmrail said nodding his head.

"Elders, I am grateful for the gifts, but why me?" I asked.

"Why not you?" Aelmrail asked.

"I'm sorry…"

"You're the most skilled warrior we've had the honor of having the opportunity to see get trained through here, boy," Aelmrail said in a gruff tone. "You've earned them with your hard work, dedication to the Ranger Corps and your master, as well as your discipline!"

"Thank you, Elder Aelmrail," I said bowing my head.

"A crew has been found for you from the Kingdom's fleet," Elder Thínor said. "Your frigate is top of the line and only takes a minimum of fifty men to run. Those fifty will be here within a fortnight. We'll have your first assignment for you then, Captain."

"Elders," I said bowing my head once again as the two left. _Out of all colors and shades, why did they have to assign mine to be black?_ I walked towards the _Shadow_ and along the dock. I counted the number of canons as I went. I counted twenty cannons as I walked. I stopped at the end of the dock when I reached the prow of the ship. The figurehead was of a dragon head and I wondered why at first and then decided not to worry about it. I smiled as I remembered something my younger twin brother, Jacen, had once told me, _You're not curious _enough. If he could listen to my thoughts at this moment, he would've taken that observation and thrown it out of the window.

I glanced up and looked at the mainmast, there the flag of the Broddring Kingdom was flapping in the breeze. Ever since Queen Nasuada had taken the throne away from Galbatorix the Varden's coat of arms, a white dragon holding a rose over a sword upon a purple field, was used as the flag of the restored Broddring Kingdom. I sat down at the edge of the dock and looked at the horizon as the sun started to set. "As the old day ends, a new one begins," I murmured, one of my mother's old sayings.

I watched the sun set and eventually, I just went onto my back and looked up at the stars, something I hadn't done since I was a little kid. Looking at the constellations that I knew, I traced them with my left index finger. I let my arm hit the dock and closed my eyes. _I guess even the purest of things, such as childhood can be corrupted by the thoughts that course through one's mind_, I thought darkly.

I stood up and walked back to my quarters. I was now officially the youngest Ranger ever. That made me a target from what my master had told me. It made me dangerous to Surda if they found out I existed. I opened the doors to my quarters and turned to close the two doors. I stopped when I felt a mind brush against mine. _Who's there?_ I sent out.

I got images, feelings, smells, but no words. The images were of me, of my quarters. The smells were of me and of my quarters. To be more precise, my uncertainty.

I narrowed my eyes and reached to my right hip and unsheathed the dagger I had there. _I'll ask this only one more time, who's there?_ I sent. _And don't mess with me!_

I slowly walked forward until I saw movement by the window. Instinctively I threw the dagger, but I was surprised when the sound of steel hitting steel resounded in the room. _That was foolish,_ a male voice said in my mind.

"Show yourself," I growled.

_Why would I do that?_

"So I don't kill you," I snarled.

_You could've done so by now, why haven't you?_ the voice asked. _As a Ranger, aren't you supposed to be able to distinguish threats?_

"I didn't feel menace coming from you towards me," I said.

_Is that so?_ the voice said in amusement. _Very good, Halfling._

"What did you call me?" I demanded.

_A Halfling,_ the voice drawled._ Do you have hearing problems?_

I muttered a spell and the room lit up and revealed a rugged looking boy in a loincloth standing by the window holding a little knife standing there. I sighed and muttered, "I don't have the patience for this right now."

_Patience?_ the boy chuckled. _Boy, you don't understand what patience is yet._

"Look, is there a reason for you being here, werecat?" I asked.

The boy grinned and showed pointed teeth in his maw. There was movement and then there was a brown tabby sitting there with the little knife sitting on the ground. _I just wanted a glimpse of the youngest Ranger ever admitted and to get rank_, the werecat said.

"Sure ya did," I said walking over to my bed and sitting down on it. "What's the real reason?"

_King __Ajihad wishes to congratulate you,_ the werecat said.

_The king?_ I thought privately to myself. "Well, umm, thanks, I guess."

_See you, Halfling, _the werecat said before stretching and leaping out of the window.

_That, is one if not thee weirdest meeting I have ever had,_ I reflected closing my eyes and letting sleep take me.

**Author's Note: **

**If any can guess why the werecat is referring to Luke as a Halfling, please guess in a review or PM me and I'll let you know if you're right (if you're lucky).**

** : **I've never understood the argument for the executions either. One of the reasons I've named my characters as they are (Luke, Jacen, and Ben) is a nod towards my love for Star Wars


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:**

**Due to increasing bloodshed (Spoiler alert) this story will be moved from a T rating to an M rating. Also to all the people who are reading this and not leaving me some sort of feedback, please, I know you're there. It's really frustrating to see all of the views the story is getting and seeing diddly squat in the reviews, except for you RF** ** you're awesome and loyal you know who you are. If you want me to continue this story, please pay me in reviews and I'll pay you back in chapters.**

"_Italics,_" = Ancient Language speech

_Italics _= thoughts, mental communication, or POV (Point of View) switch

Chapter 4

_Ben's POV_

It had been seven years since my oldest brother, Luke, had left to become a Ranger and I was heading to Sharktooth Island. I wondered if he'd be able to recognize me. Over the course of those seven years, I had changed a lot. I was no longer a whiny little kid. I was a muscular, fit, sixteen year old. My windswept black hair was currently blowing in the wind. My brown eyes were looking at the land that was steadily approaching. Jacen, Luke's twin, was busy with the army he had already achieved some high rank amongst the troops there. My mom had commented before I left that the three of us had all taken after our father. When I asked her about it, she just smiled and said that the three of us would find out what she meant in our own time. Then she told me to hurry and I did. I felt odd, knowing that I was the youngest sailor on the _RNS Deadshot_.

I was crouched on the bowsprit, holding onto the rope that held the sail attached. What would Luke think when he saw me? Would he approve of the fact that I had chosen the path of war like he and Jacen had? All I knew was that I was going to be assigned to a high-ranking Ranger's ship. Would he let me see my brother once before we set sail?

_Luke's POV_

It had only been one week since I was made a full Ranger and I still told no one of the odd encounter I had had with the werecat. There was a knock at my quarter's door. I opened my eyes from their semi-closed position and uncrossed my legs, stood up, and walked towards the door. I opened it and saw an apprentice standing there. "Yes?" I asked, trying not to sound annoyed by the fact that my meditation had been interrupted.

"Sir, the _RNS Deadshot_ is approaching," the boy said.

"Okay, how does this concern me?" I asked.

"The _RNS Deadshot_ is bringing your crew, Captain," the boy said. He swallowed nervously and looked in my eyes.

"Thanks," I said. "I'll be at the docks in ten minutes."

"I will inform Elders Thínor and Aelmrail."

"You do that," I said as I closed the door. I took a deep breath and let it out in a sight. I ran my left hand over my face a couple of times before I headed to the weapons rack that had been installed yesterday. I picked up _Freohr_ and belted it to my left hip. I picked up my dagger and belted the scabbard of that onto my right hip. _The _RNS Deadshot_,_ I thought._ The biggest ship the royal navy has built to date. Why would they send that ship here?_ I walked to the door and opened it, walked through, and headed towards the docks. _The _Deadshot_ has three gun decks to support one hundred and twenty-four cannons: four at the bow, eight at the stern, and fifty-six broadside on each side. The downside of such a large ship, it travels slowly._

I stopped when I realized that I had reached the docks. Elder Aelmrail was there dressed as he had been for the initiation ceremony. "Captain," he greeted me in a gruff voice.

"Elder," I said with a respectful nod. "Who is captain of the _Deadshot_?"

"That would be Admiral Thormond son of Nolfavrell the Valiant," Elder Aelmrail answered looking at the approaching vessel.

"Is Nolfavrell on the Council of Elders?" I asked.

"Yes, he is," Elder Aelmrail replied. "He's named after one of his ancestors, his great-great-great-great-grandfather or something like that."

"Sounds like a northern name," I said.

"That's cuz it is, boy," the elder said. "Carvahall, I believe."

"I take it you'd like me to be silent, Elder Aelmrail?" I asked.

"Please, your voice is making me cringe."

I smiled and stood there on the docks with the grouchy older Ranger. Together, the two of us watched the massive ship come towards the dock and anchor it a bit offshore. Four rowboats were launched and it took another ten minutes before they reached the docks and were tied to the docks. A hulking man in elaborate armor, meant for naval warfare, approached Elder Aelmrail and myself. He had brown hair, green eyes, a scar on his right cheek just below his eye, and a brown bear tinged with red. When he saw the older Ranger his face beamed into a giant smile. He had a cutlass sheathed on each hip, along with a musket strapped on his back.

"Aw, Ranger Aelmrail, it has been awhile," the man said in a gleeful tone. His voice was deep, but not as deep as one would have guessed by looking at his hulking figure.

"Thormond," Aelmrail said, not sounding pleased. "What took you so long?"

"Nothing, my dear friend," Thurmond said, his smile getting bigger. "We had to recruit the fifty crew members needed from the navy."

"Did you get them?" Aelmrail asked glaring at his younger contemporary.

"Well, of course my friend!" the Admiral exclaimed. "And I thought you wouldn't take another apprentice after your last…"

"This isn't an apprentice," Elder Aelmrail interrupted. "This is the Captain the crew is needed for."

Thurmond raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down. I met his eyes and he looked away. "Well, I was expecting someone older," he confessed.

"So was I," I said.

"Well, I do not believe we've met," Thurmond said approaching me with an open right hand.

"No, I don't believe that we have," I said looking at his hand and then back at his face. "The name's Jayko." I took his hand and shook it.

"That's an interesting name," the Admiral said.

"Aren't all names that aren't our own interesting?" I asked. _Why did I lie about my name?_ I berated myself. There was just something about this man that screamed, "Don't trust me, I'll stab you when your back is turned!"

Thurmond chuckled and released my hand. "Isn't that the truth," he said. "Is your vessel ready?"

"As ready as it'll ever be," I answered.

"Which vessel is it?"

"The black and red frigate over there," I said pointing towards the _Shadow_.

"I'll send your crew over there, oh and before I do I have a request from one of your new crew members," the Admiral said.

"What is it?"

"He was wondering if he could see his brother," the Admiral said. "He told me that his brother would still be an apprentice, seventeen years of age."

"There are a lot of apprentices here that fit that description," Aelmrail said crossing his arms.

"Yes, he said that his brother's name was Luke," Thurmond said looking at Aelmrail first and then me.

"Where is this crew member?" I asked. "I'll take him to his brother."

"BEN!" Thurmond called.

A boy of about sixteen ran over from unloading one of the rowboats. He had windswept black hair, brown eyes that had a burning intensity behind them that reminded me of my little brother. "Yes, Admiral?" the boy asked in a semi-deep voice.

"Jayko here will lead you to your brother," Thurmond said looking at me intently.

Ben turned and looked at me with a grateful expression. "Thank you, sir," he said bowing his head.

"You don't have to bow your head," I said gently. "Meet me by the doors, I'll be over in a couple of minutes."

"Yes, sir," Ben said.

Thurmond was still gazing at me and I met his stare. "What is your real name?" he asked.

"Why would you like to know, Admiral Thurmond?" I asked.

"I'm curious to know about how a young Ranger is commanding a vessel," Thurmond said in an even voice. "You see, I've had reports from my father about a promising acolyte here at Wyrda that has accelerated through the ranks of the Rangers. I'm curious to know if that is Luke Porter."

"Aye, it is."

"And I'm curious to know if Jayko and Luke Porter are one in the same." Thurmond said.

"That's a possibility," I said. "I might also be the Prince of Surda, but you might never know."

"I'll see you around, Captain Porter," Thurmond said.

"Admiral Thurmond," I said with a slight inclination of my chin.

_Ben's POV_

I was standing by the doors of this stone building looking at the young Ranger as he talked to the Admiral. He was wearing a black leather jerkin, a dagger on his right hip, a sword on his left. He had black hair and blue eyes. His black hair was of a medium length compared to what I had been used to on the sea and my short service in the Royal Navy. That Ranger had an air of confidence around him, one that I had never encountered before other than with the Admiral. He turned away from the admiral, talking done for now, I guess, and approached me.

"Make a fairth, it'll last longer," he said looking at me.

I flushed, realizing that I had been staring and it was bordering on rude. "Sorry, sir," I apologized. "Where is Luke?"

"He's around here someplace," the Ranger answered in a deep voice that was still filled with youth. "Come on, kid, follow me."

A bit of anger flashed through me at being called a kid and I pushed that away. The Ranger looked at me and smirked, "Did that bother you?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm considered a man amongst others," I said.

"Not here you're not," the Ranger said.

"And why is that?" I challenged.

Instead of being angry, the Ranger chuckled. "Well, Ben, have you taken a life?" he asked.

"No," I answered.

"That's why you aren't considered one."

"Because I haven't killed someone!"  
>"Not necessarily, you haven't had to truly face yourself," the Ranger said. He started walking away from the door and towards a secluded field surrounded by trees. "You haven't had to come to terms with what your actions are truly bringing upon the lives of others, what your actions are inflicting, what pain or joy you bring to people."<p>

"Oh," I said feeling myself deflate a little bit.

We reached the fields and I realized that it was just the two of us. "You said that you'd take me to my brother!" I exclaimed in anger.

"No, I told Admiral Thurmond that I would take you to your brother, not lead you to him," the Ranger corrected me. "You brought yourself to your brother Ben, you just failed to see."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

The Ranger sighed and rubbed his temples. "Ben, I'm Luke," he said.

My mouth dropped and I looked into his deep blue eyes. "Luke?" I asked timidly.

"Aye," he said. "It's been a long time."

"How do I know that you aren't pulling my leg?" I questioned.

The Ranger sighed and answered, "I told you when you were nine years old before I left to grow up and take care of mom while I was gone. I knew that Jacen was eyeing up apprenticeships so I told you to be the one to take care of her. It appears that you did grow up."

"Well, how have you been?" I ventured.

Luke laughed and smiled. "I've been alright," he said. "Just letting you know that some of my missions won't be for the faint of heart and I don't want you among my crew if you can't handle it."

"Luke, I know how to fight, I was trained for a year in swordplay and naval warfare," I answered. "I have a good shot with a musket and a pistol. I'll be fine."

"Alright, welcome aboard," Luke said. "Come on, we need to head back to my ship."

"Are we leaving?" I asked.

"Yes, I'll be receiving my mission within the hour, I'm sure," Luke said turning back the way we'd came.

_Luke's POV_

Sure enough, I was right. Thirty minutes after my conversation with my brother, I received my main objective. I thought back to the discussion Master Fennik and I had on our way back from Teirm and sighed. He was right, I was only a weapon to be unleashed. They had decided to give me free reign and would contact me via a mirror in my quarters if anything dire came up that they needed _me_ to take care of.

I was currently sitting in my quarters and looking out the window. We had left Sharktooth Island two hours ago and had set a course for Teirm. I was busy storing energy in the melanite set in the pommel of _Freohr_. I started to relax in my bed when the alarm bell started to ring. My eyes snapped open and I bolted out of my cabin and onto the main deck before I ran onto the quarterdeck and then the poopdeck. "What in the blazes is going on?" I demanded.

"Pirates, Captain," my first mate, Äron said from behind the wheel.

I cursed and motioned for him to move out of the way. I grabbed the wheel and yelled, "Man the cannons, give me every inch of sail!" the sailors scrambled to do as they were ordered and I looked at my first mate. "Go to my quarters and retrieve my weapons, please, Äron," I said.

"Of course, Captain," he said.

I took a deep breath and turned hard to port. I saw the red sails of the ship and I yelled for my spyglass. It was handed to me and I turned my attention towards the flag of the ship. "That isn't a pirate ship," I breathed. _What is a Surdan frigate doing in our waters?_

"Here you are, Captain," Äron said running up to me.

I slammed the spyglass closed and handed it to the sailor that had given it to me. "Take the wheel," I commanded. "They aren't pirates, they're from Surda."

"Surda?" Äron spluttered as he took the wheel and I put on my effects.

"Yes," I answered. "It means that Surda has decided to make the first official move of this war."

There was a thundering boom and I looked up. "What was that?" a sailor asked.

"Mortars!" another called.

He was right, I muttered a spell and the mortar exploded in the air before it could hit the ship and cause damage. "Prepare to fire!" I yelled. "Lower the sails, all but the mizzen mast!"

"Are you mad!" Äron exclaimed. "We'll be sitting ducks!"

"No, we won't," I assured him.

"They're within range!" a sailor called.

"Hold your fire!" I called.

The enemy frigate kept coming towards us, making to ram us. "Sir?"

"Hold!"

"SIR!"

"Hold!"

"SIR!"

"FIRE!" I screamed.

Twenty cannons fired at one point of the ship, just below the figurehead. Most found their mark, the rest went into the ocean. "BRACE!" I yelled as the ship kept coming.

The enemy frigate with a bit of strength rammed into the _Shadow_ and then with that ram I used magic to unfurl the mains and the wind took us away. "Äron, turn the wheel starboard side! Hard!" I commanded.

"Aye, aye, sir!" the first mate replied.

I knew that the cannons were reloaded by looking into the minds of some of my sailors. "FIRE!" I yelled. Twenty cannons fired as we turned, the cannonballs pierced through the hull of the frigate and it must've hit the powder reserves because there was a large blast and fire spread. "Prepare to board!"

The men from the cannons that had not fired were on the main deck and the quarterdeck. They reached into barrels and grabbed grappling hooks and threw them at the enemy ship. They started to reel the ship closer to the _Shadow_ and I searched for the captain of the enemy frigate. I was still wearing some sort of armor, my leather jerking, so that made me a tad bit grateful that I wasn't wholly unprepared for this battle. When the ships were side-by-side I jumped onto the poopdeck of the other ship and saw the captain standing there with his cutlass drawn. I unsheathed _Freohr_ and my dagger and advanced. I was aware of my crew coming to board and the fighting that was going on, but I had to remain focused. The captain attacked and I evaded the blow by leaning out of the way. I spun on my back heel and sliced at his hamstring with my sword. The cut was blocked and I completed my spin. We circled one another and I initiated the attack this time around. I attacked with my sword first and when that was deflected, I stabbed in with my dagger. That was evaded by a well-timed spin by my opponent.

I turned to face him once again and he attacked in an overhead blow. I caught it on my sword and spun, stabbed backwards with my dagger and found flesh. My opponent collapsed onto the poopdeck, dead, with my dagger in his heart. The sound of fighting ceased and I looked at the other decks, the crew of this frigate surrendered once they saw their captain had been defeated. Bodies lay here and there, two were from my crew and that saddened me. The rest were from this ship. I knelt down and pulled my dagger from the captain's chest, wiped it on his tunic, and sheathed it. I stood up and surveyed the carnage once more. "Where is the first mate of this vessel?" I called. No one spoke up. I sighed and knelt down by the corpse of the fallen captain, found a flintlock and stood up. "If I do not get a name, I will start executing sailors!"

I walked down from the poopdeck and onto the quarterdeck. I approached a kneeling sailor and asked, "Do you know where the first mate is?" There wasn't an answer. "No?" I moved on to another sailor and asked, "Do you know where the first mate is?" Again I was met with silence. "No?" I sighed and aimed the flintlock at the man and pulled the trigger. Might as well make my threat no longer empty. The bullet erupted from the barrel and a fine mist burst forth from the mans head as the bullet passed through his skull.

I handed the flintlock to a sailor under my command and he handed me his pistol. I walked to another sailor and asked, "Do you know where the first mate is?"

"Nnnoo," the man stammered.

I patted his head and moved on to another and asked the same question. I was met with the same response. I moved on from the quarterdeck to the main deck and approached a sailor and asked, "You look like a man who knows some information. Do _you_ know where the first mate of this vessel is?" Silence. I pulled the hammer back and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to tell me something?" Silence.

I was about to pull the trigger when, "Stop!"

I turned towards the voice and saw a man in a red vest stand up. "Do you know where the first mate is?" I asked, keeping the flintlock aimed at the head of the kneeling prisoner.

"I am the first mate," the man said.

"Finally, we're getting somewhere," I said. I moved away from the person and walked towards the first mate. "Come with me."

He hesitated and I aimed the pistol at someone that was within range. He hurriedly stepped forward and I trained the pistol on him. "Are we going to discuss the terms of surrender?" he asked.

"You've already surrendered, there are no terms to discuss," I said. "Now move to the aft!"

Back at the poopdeck, the man looked down at his fallen captain. "He was a good man," the first mate said.

"This is war, there's no such thing as a good man in war," I said. "What are you doing in the Broddring Kingdom's waters?"

"What?"

"Are you deaf?" I demanded. "What are you doing in the Broddring Kingdom's waters?"

The men sighed and looked down at his fallen captain and then back at me. "We were ordered to interrupt the trading of your country by attacking merchant ships," he said.

"Killing innocents?" I asked in shock. "Your king ordered you to attack people trying to make a living, to kill them!" My shock soon gave way to rage. "The war between our two nations has been nothing up until this point! I understand the hard feelings between our nations, but to attack innocents!"

"What do you know about anything?" the man challenged.

"I know a lot," I growled, enraged that this man would insinuate that this war started because of people like me. "We Rangers have a code to live by, don't you whores have something? _We_ do not attack the innocent, we do not _kill_ the innocent! It seems that by what your king is charging his ships to do, our king would have to respond in kind!"

The man paled briefly and then retorted, "You're alone in this fight, the dwarves won't help, the elves won't help! You have to take down the Wall if you want to stand a chance."

"I know, I've done a lot of studying," I said clicking the hammer back. "But why attack the Wall when you can perform a successful naval campaign against it and come in from behind?"

The man's eyes widened and I pulled the trigger. Blood fell from his chest and he collapsed onto his knees and moved his mouth a couple of times before falling onto his side. "Rot in hell," I spat as I threw away the pistol in disgust.

I walked down the stairs to the quarterdeck and yelled, "Who here amongst you is the boatswain? Give me answers quickly or I will kill every single one of you on this boat!"

A man garbed in a rust colored tunic stood up, "That'd be me, sir," he said.

I drew my sword and motioned for him to come stand before me. "Tell me something, boatswain," I said, "how many merchant ships have you sunk so far?"

"Three, sir," the boatswain answered.

"Did you take any prisoners? Spare anybody?" I asked.

"No sir, our orders from the king were to spare no one," the boatswain said.

I pushed with my mind and I felt his regret over the actions of the crew, something I hadn't felt with the first mate. "Tell me, do you think that what your king asked you was fair?"

"Who am I to question a king?"

"You are exactly the person who should be questioning a king," I answered. "If something happens in Surda like what happened in the Broddring Kingdom more than four centuries ago, who will be to blame? The people for letting it happen! The people should not fear their government, their government should fear them, sailor."

The man gasped and looked at me in shock. I placed my left hand on his right shoulder for a brief moment and then motioned for him to join the rest of the crew. A hard decision lay before me, I could either sink the ship with all of the Surdans on it, or I could take them prisoner and put them in the brig.

**Authors Note:  
>Please R&amp;R<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

"_Italics_" = Ancient Language in speech

_Italics_ = thoughts, POV (Point of View) changes, or mental conversations.

Disclaimer, I own nothing.

Chapter 5

_What am I supposed to do with this?_ I thought. _They killed innocent people that were just trying to support their families. Should I retaliate and kill these men? The difference is that they aren't innocent. Or should I invade their personal privacy and see if they feel any remorse for their actions and base my judgments off of those?_

"What are you thinking?" a voice asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked up from the quarterdeck of the frigate that my crew and I had just captured. Ben was standing there looking at me concerned. "I'm thinking a lot of things, Ben," I answered.

"Care to share them with me?" he asked.

"No, these thoughts I bear are not yours to be burdened with," I said placing my left hand on my little brother's right shoulder.

I expanded my mind and touched the minds of the crew on this frigate. I searched for remorse or hesitance in their actions in what they had been ordered to do. I found some that had met the criteria for being spared, twelve out of the sixty minds that I touched, and the rest were filled with joy at doing their king's bidding. I singled out the twelve men by walking over to each of them and telling them to stand up and remain standing until instructed by me to do otherwise.

I looked at my crew and said, "These twelve are judged to be remorseful of their actions taken against the Broddring Kingdom. The rest are not. These twelve will be spared. Am I understood?"

"Aye, Captain!" a roar from my crew answered me.

"Good," I said. I pointed to Ben and three others, "You four, take these twelve to the brig of the _Shadow_, lock them in there. Keep them fed, hydrated, and dry."

"Aye, Captain," the four said taking the twelve away.

"The rest of you," I said in a dangerous voice laced with venom. "Will be disposed of. Men of the _Shadow_, man the cannons and prepare to fire on this vessel!" My men scrambled to do as they were ordered while I glared at the remaining forty-eight sailors on this ship. "Enjoy hellfire," I spat. I muttered a spell of immobility on the forty-eight sailors and headed back to my ship.

I walked to where the wheel was and took it in both hands. "Are the cannons ready?" I asked Äron.

"Yes, Captain," my first mate replied.

"Give the order to fire," I said.

"Of course, Captain," Äron said. He took a deep breath and then bellowed, "FIRE THE CANNONS YOU WORTHLESS BILDGRATS!"

Twenty cannons fired and their cannonballs penetrated the hull of the opposing vessel. "Aim lower," I ordered, "make the ship take on more water."

"Aye, Captain," Äron said bowing his head before once again taking a deep breath and bellowing out my order to the crew below.

The frigate started going under and there came startled cries from the men that my spell prevented from moving. I had magically drained them all of their energy and was using that to fuel the spell, ensuring their deaths. If they didn't die from the energy the spell took from their bodies, the drowning would. The crew poured onto the main deck and the quarterdeck and awaited my new orders now that the enemy ship had been sunk. "Loose all, let's get moving!" I commanded. There was a flurry of movement as my crew scrambled to do as I had ordered. I looked at my first mate and said, "Äron, take the wheel."

"Aye, aye, Captain," he replied.

I headed down the stairs to the quarterdeck and then descended down the stairs that led to the gun decks. I went to the lowest deck where the brig was and found the boatswain from the enemy ship. I pulled up a barrel of ale and sat on it. "Were there more ships?" I asked the boatswain.

"More ships?" he asked, confused.

"Attacking innocent civilian merchant ships," I stated. "Were there more ships?"

"Yes, all across the sea," the boatswain said sadly. "The king even ordered schooners and gunboats built to travel up the Jiet River."

"Where is the shipyard?" I asked.

"On one of the islands to the south, Illium, I believe," was my answer.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, standing up to leave. I had my back to the cell when I was stopped with a question.

"What will happen to the rest of the crew?"

"What?"  
>"The twelve of us. What will happen to us?"<p>

"You will be brought to Teirm and imprisoned. From there, I cannot determine your Fate," I answered walking away. "Just know that if you were to be executed, your deaths would come swiftly, you wouldn't endure what I made your shipmates endure as they went down with the ship."

_Ben's POV_

I was scrubbing the main deck when the singing started. Sea shanties started flying from the lips of sailors like wind amongst trees. When it came to one that I finally knew by heart, I decided to join in. It was a favorite of mine, mainly due to the rhyme and the words in the shanty. Soon every sailor that was scrubbing or working on the main deck and the quarterdeck started singing the shanty.

"What will we do with a drunken sailor?

What will we do with a drunken sailor?

What will we do with a drunken sailor?

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning

Shave his belly with a rusty razor

Shave his belly with a rusty razor

Shave his belly with a rusty razor

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning

Put him in the longboat until he's sober

Put him in the longboat until he's sober

Put him in the longboat until he's sober

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning

Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him

Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him

Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning

Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter

Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter

Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning

That's what we do with a drunken sailor

That's what we do with a drunken sailor

That's what we do with a drunken sailor

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Way hay and up she rises

Early in the morning."

I smiled as the shanty finished and realized that I had finished my task. I set aside my brush and went to find my brother. Maybe he could explain to my why we had open fired on an already boarded and defeated vessel.

_Luke's POV_

I heard a knock at my cabins door and I looked up from the map of Alagaësia and the waters surrounding her that I had on my desk. "Come in," I said, surprised that I had a visitor.

My little brother, Ben, walked in and approached the desk, where I was still bent over looking at them. "Hello, Luke," he greeted me.

"What can I help you with, Ben?" I asked motioning for him to take a seat at the table across from where I was standing.

Ben complied and I followed suit, sitting down just after he had. "I was wondering if you could explain something to me," he said.

"What would you like me to explain?" I asked folding my hands in my lap and looking at him.

"Why did we fire at an already defeated vessel, sinking it, and killing forty-eight sailors on board?"

I sighed and unfolded my hands just as quickly as I had folded them. "They felt nothing, Ben," I replied. "They were ordered to attack merchant ships, kill innocent people, by their king, and they did it willingly. The twelve that I had you bring to the brig, they felt remorse, hesitation, and anger at their actions. I did what I judged to be right."

"By drowning forty-eight men?" Ben asked me. He was clearly astounded.

I met his eyes and replied simply, "Yes."

"I just don't understand," Ben said searching my eyes.

"You probably never will," I said quietly. "Only a week ago I was protesting my master killing a Surdan militant that we had been ordered to track down. My master explained things to me in black and white, made me see the world clearly. The world isn't a clean place, Ben, it requires men to get dirty to protect their homes, their families, and their way of life. You may or may not understand that someday. I hope that you will never have to understand the choices that I have had to make. Unless there was anything else, you're dismissed."

"Of course, Captain," Ben said standing up and bowing slightly. He exited my quarters and I looked down at the maps once again.

_Ben's POV_

I considered what Luke had just told me as I walked to a hammock and climbed into it. It still made little sense to me why we killed defenseless men and it didn't settle well with me. This definitely was not the same kid I had grown up with for nine years. Was training with the Rangers really that intense? If it changed somebody that much to the point where they kill unarmed men in cold blood, it had to be. No wonder they never accepted children into the service, with the exception of my eldest brother. We'd be in Teirm in two and a half days, that's what the navigator said anyway. Until then, the ship would be run in five shifts of ten sailors. My shift didn't start for another five hours, so I had time to get some rest and go over what Luke had told me.

_Luke's POV_

I didn't know if I had been too complacent with Ben challenging my authority, I was just glad that he had done it in my quarters instead of in front of the rest of the crew where I would have had to responded accordingly. I also hoped that I had explained things as to him decently enough without giving him enough insight into what _I_ really was to the crown and to the Ranger Corps. I was still sitting at the table where Ben had left me, but I was no longer looking over the maps. I was leaning back into the chair with my eyes closed, replaying some of what my mater had told me, _You will become a killer without a conscience. You'll be at the frontlines, in the middle of every foray, killing at will. Unchecked, unchallenged, killing every person deemed too dangerous to be left alive or an enemy of the state. You will become in every essence, the sword of the Council and of the Kingdom. The judge, the jury, and the executioner._

A knock at the door of my quarters startled me and I jumped a bit. My eyes snapped open and I looked at the door and said, "Come in."

The _Shadow_'s boatswain came in and asked, "You wanted to see me, Captain Porter?"

"Yes, I did," I said. "Please, sit down." The boatswain looked at the chair nervously and I motioned towards it and said, "If I were to kill you, I would've done it already."

The boatswain's eyes widened and he hastily sat down. "Why did you want to see me, sir?" he asked nervously clasping and unclasping his hands.

"I just would like to know your name, sailor," I said. "I want to know the names of my mates and who my sailors are looking up to."

"That's all, sir?"

"That's all," I answered with a slight smile.

"My name is Orion," the boatswain answered.

"Thank you," I said with sincerity. "You may go about your duties, Orion."

"Thank you, Captain," Orion said. "Sir, if it's any consolation, I believe that you made the correct decision today regarding the Surdan frigate."

I met the boatswain's eyes and searched them. All I saw was honesty and admiration. "Thank you, Orion," I said, keeping my voice neutral.

"Captain," Orion said dipping his head with respect before he headed out of my quarters.

I relaxed back into my chair and looked at our original heading, Teirm. If the shipyards the Surdans were using were on the islands, I would be willing to bet that they'd be heavily fortified. I sighed and rubbed my temples as I leaned forward and let my elbows rest on the table. I stayed like that for a while before I stood up and walked towards my bed.

I removed my leather jerkin, boots, and sword belt before I climbed into my bed. I looked over at my armor rack and saw my plate armor gleaming in the lantern light. I extinguished the lanterns with a murmur and closed my eyes as my head hit the pillow. _I'll see what tomorrow brings,_ I thought exhausted.

**Authors Note:**

**Please R&R, I know that you guys are out there… If any of you are wondering what happened to Jacen, he's coming soon, don't worry. The sea shanty used in this chapter is, "Drunken Sailor," the melody is used in Spongebob Squarepants. Let me know if I ruined your childhood.**


	6. Chapter 6

"_Italics_" = Ancient Language in speech

_Italics _= thoughts, Point of View (POV) switches, or mental communication

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing nor do I make any money off of this (though it would be nice to pay the debts I owe)

Chapter 6

_Luke's POV_

As the _Shadow_ glided through the calm waters towards the docks, I handed the wheel over to Äron and walked down to the main deck. I stopped in the midst of my crew and looked over them. "Listen up, we'll be in Teirm for a couple of days to gather supplies to make a long trip south," I said loud enough for everyone to hear me. "The prisoners will be turned over to the military guard in the city, take the next two days off, but be at the dock this ship is anchored at by dawn on the third day, or I will personally hunt you down and kill you as deserters. Am I clear?"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" a roar answered from my crew.

"Good," I said as Äron turned this ship around so that it could back into the docks. "Get on the oars and slowly back us into the docks, it'll only require half of you lot."

Twenty-five sailors scrambled below deck to do what I had asked of them and I walked back to Äron and the wheel. "Will you be visiting the Ranger garrison that is in the city, Captain?" my first mate asked me.

"I'll have to in order to get some money to buy what I require," I answered looking at him.

His green eyes met my blue eyes briefly and he nodded. "What are you planning on upgrading, Captain?" he asked.

"I'm thinking about getting mortars," I answered honestly. "Either that, making the ram stronger, or getting some iron plates or steel ones added to the hull of the _Shadow_."

"Why not do all of those?"

"Do you have any idea how much that'll cost me?"  
>"A lot, I suppose," Äron said scratching his brown beard. "But I believe that it'll be worth it if I think about what it is that you'll be doing."<p>

"And what is it exactly that I'll be doing?" I asked.

The ship stopped moving and ropes were thrown to men waiting on the docks. The _Shadow_ was secured on the dock and Äron let go of the wheel and full turned to face me. I took full stock of the man standing in front of me: he was shorter than I was by about five to five and a half inches, had broad shoulders, very stocky and muscular, wore a black tunic and black trousers. He had twin swords sheathed on his back so that a hilt protruded from behind both his shoulder blades and he had a dagger hilt sticking out of his left boot.

"Well, you'll be taking on the Surdan fleet of course," my first mate finally answered.

"What makes you think that?" I asked evenly.

"I talked to the captive boatswain."

"And what did the boatswain tell you?" I asked.

"That they were ordered by their bastard of a king to attack innocent merchant ships, that their shipyards were located on the island of Illium, and that they had sunk three ships," Äron answered immediately.

"How long have you been sailing, Äron?" I asked.

"Oh, I would have to say about ten years now," he answered.

"What do you make of Ben?" I dared to ask.

"The boy?" Äron snorted. "He started sailing only a year ago, very proficient at his job. He does his duty but he's too idealistic. Why do you ask?"

"He's my younger brother," I answered softly.

"Ah, I see," Äron said quietly.

"What do you see?"

"Just that you care for your sibling and are wondering how others perceive him."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I think that it is a good thing. I am an older sibling myself, my youngest sister, Julia, resides in Ilirea."

"How old is she?"

"She's your age."

"I couldn't help but notice that you said, youngest," I prodded.

Äron smiled and leaned against the railing behind the wheel. "Aye, there's Fria and Mai who are in the middle," he answered happily. "They are five years older than Julia and five years younger than myself."

"Do they reside in the Kingdom's capital as well?"

"Nay, they are married and have their own children. Fria is married to a gunsmith in Gil'ead and Mai is married to a merchant here in Teirm."

"Well, are you going to go and visit your sister?" I asked smiling.

"With my Captain's permission," Äron answered.

"Of course, Äron, family is important."

"Do you have any other siblings besides the young sailor?" Äron asked me.

"Aye, I do. From what I understand he's working in Ilirea with the army," I answered. "He's my younger twin, his name is Jacen."

"Jacen?" Äron said frowning. "He's not working with the army, Captain, he's practically running it."

"Pardon?"

"King Ajihad made him general if I'm not mistaken, oh I would say a week before I left the capital," Äron said. "Big uproar too, I mind you, since he's only seventeen. There was a big uproar when news spread about an apprentice being made a full-fledged Ranger at the age of seventeen as well. News quickly spread that the new General and Ranger were brothers. Most wondered if it was more than just coincidence."

"Thank you Äron," I said in an even voice even though I was shaking on the inside. "You can go see your family any time that you want. Just remember two days off and on the third morning…"

"I know, Captain, be here at dawn or I'm a deserter," Äron interrupted with a smile.

I smiled as well as my first mate departed from the _Shadow_ with a wave of his hand. I looked at the city from the main deck. With I sigh, I turned and headed towards my cabin. Once I got there, I changed out of my clothing I had and got into some more appropriate attire to meet with the Rangers that were stationed here in Teirm. I looked at myself in the full-body length mirror and stared for a couple of minutes after I had stripped down.

I saw a man standing there with broad shoulders that were filled out with defined muscle groups. There were scars that were strewn larrikin across my torso from extensive training. I looked away and grabbed a new wardrobe.

I took a pair of black trousers, a black sleeveless tunic, a chainmail shirt, and my black hooded cloak. I put the trousers on first, followed by the chainmail shirt that covered my arms down to my wrists, that was followed by the sleeveless tunic. I looked at myself once again in the mirror as I fastened the cloak around my neck, I looked intimidating even without adding my sword, daggers, and flintlocks. I went back to my bed and sat down to put on my boots.

I let out a sigh as I stood up and fastened the sword belt on my waist and my flintlock holsters across my chest. With that done, I put my hood up and headed out of my quarters and onto the quarterdeck. I couldn't help but wonder what Jacen was up to.

_Jacen's POV_

My eyes reluctantly opened from however short of a nap it had been to the sound of urgent knocking at my quarter's door. "What is it?" I yelled irritably.

"General, King Ajihad has requested that you attend this war council," a man answered.

I let out a groan of disappointment. "Can't they find something more interesting for me to attend?" I sighed.

"Sorry, General, it's very important," the man said shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

"Lead the way," I said motioning with my left hand.

I was led through the corridors of the keep to the throne room where King Ajihad stood along with his older generals, a werecat named Salla, the elf queen Arya and her dragon Fírnen, and a dwarf that I did not recognize. "Ah, General Porter," King Ajihad greeted me in a deep booming voice that just demanded respect.

"My liege," I said bowing my head.

The occupants of the room turned their attention towards me and I nodded briefly at them and took in the fact that it looked like the king had not slept in ages. His baldhead reflected the light from the lanterns and torches that lit up the room. His black beard came to a point at his chest. He wore golden plate armor with silver chainmail underneath. He had his sword strapped to his left hip and his brown eyes always had a jolly glow in them. There were noticeable bags under his eyes now though.

"So, this is the young general we have heard so much about," the dwarf said giving me a once over.

"Aye, I hope I haven't disappointed," I replied, giving my own once over of the dwarf. He wore a helm with the crest of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum and typical dwarfish armor. He had a dwarven sword strapped to each hip and had deep green eyes. His beard reached his stomach and it was braided all the way down.

"No lad, you haven't," the dwarf replied. "I am Borin son of Orik and I am the Grimstborith of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum."

"Nice to meet you, Borin son of Orik," I said nodding my head slightly. I looked at the king and asked, "Where is the representative from the Urgals?"

"They do not wish for further violence, nor do they wish to be involved in our conflicts," the king answered.

"Understood."

"We have other matters to discuss," the king said motioning for me to step forward.

I did as the king had motioned for me to do and saw a physical map of Alagaësia that had models of cities, mountains, and even the Wall of Surda. "What are those matters, sire?" I asked.

"Surda has taken Belatona," Arya answered.

"Do the Rangers know?" I asked.

"We just informed them before you came here," a general spoke up. I looked up and saw that it was Nolfavrell.

"What's the plan of attack to reclaim Belatona?" I asked.

"There isn't one."

I was stunned. "What?" I asked in a deathly quiet tone.

"There isn't a plan to reclaim the city."

"What image does that portray to our enemies?" I demanded. "They can just walk in on a whim and take what they want! That's what that portrays!"

"We cannot risk civilian casualties caused by our siege," King Ajihad said softly. "What image would that portray to _our_ citizens?"

I sighed in defeat and looked down at the map. "A bad one, I suppose," I conceded.  
>"Why not take a surreptitious option?" the werecat, Salla, suggested in his bored raspy voice.<p>

"A covert force to be sent in?" General Nolfavrell asked shaking his head. "It would take them days to prepare and we don't have that long!"

"What about a force that's always prepared?" I asked.

Everyone turned his or her attention to me and I stopped breathing for a split second. "Go on…" General Marek said.

I swallowed before I said, "What about sending in a force of Rangers?"

"That wouldn't work, they don't work together," Arya spoke up. "The Rangers are meant to work separately within the forces of the army and navy. They are special operation forces that don't do well with the chain of command outside of their own."

"Well, whose the highest ranking Ranger that we could talk to?" I asked.

"Elder Thínor, but he doesn't participate in combat, he trains Rangers and then he promotes them to active duty," King Ajihad said.

"Who is the highest active duty one then?" I asked.

"Captain Jayko," Nolfavrell answered.

"Who?"

"The newest addition to the Ranger Corps," Nolfavrell answered. "My son met him when he brought the Captain's crew over with the _Deadshot_."

"If he's in the navy, he can't help us!" I said.

"That's where you're wrong," Arya said.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

The young Ranger is in the top tier in marksmanship, swordsmanship, strategy, and he is one of four rangers that has the ability to use magic. He has been trained in all arts of war."

"Where is he now?" I dared to ask.

"If the rumors are correct, Teirm," Borin spoke up.

"Is there a way to contact him and get him here?" I asked.

"Yes, there is, we can scry him at the Rangers outpost in Teirm," Salla said. "I'm sure that is where the young Ranger will go."

"Are you positive about that, Salla?" Nolfavrell asked.

Salla hissed at the general and growled a bit at the end. "If I was not sure about it, I would not have suggested it, General," he growled.

"Well, why don't we get started, then?" I spoke up to break up the tension.

"A grand idea, General Porter!" King Ajihad said happily. "Arya, if you'd be so kind."

"Your majesty," Arya said nodding her head. "Is there a mirror or a water basin around?"

"I'll have one brought immediately."

A body length mirror was brought in and Arya muttered a spell. The mirror turned black at first and then a ripple spread across it as it showed a room that was a light with torches and lanterns. There were two Rangers that I had seen before here at the Capital of the kingdom, Ranger Erat and Ranger Vrede. The two were siblings, born three years apart from one another. Erat was the eldest and wore a leather jerkin with a silver hooded cloak. Vrede also wore a leather jerkin but his hooded cloak was blood red. Another Ranger walked in and he looked vaguely familiar. He was dressed in all black, with the exception of the silver chainmail that was showing on his arms. His black hood was up, so I could not see his face.

"Captain Jayko, we were expecting you," Erat said with a pleasant tone.

"Save the pleasantries, Erat," the new Ranger said in a no-nonsense tone. His voice sounded eerily similar to mine, just a tad deeper. "I need to contact King Ajihad."

"Well, Jayko, the King is looking at us through the mirror behind you," Vrede spoke up.

Jayko nodded his head in thanks and turned his back on the two Rangers. He knelt down in front of the mirror and spoke, "My king, I have bad news."

"What is it, Jayko?" the King asked.

"Surda has made the first move in this conflict," Jayko said. "They have ordered their fleet to attack merchant vessels. On our way to Teirm, my crew and I intercepted a Surdan naval vessel and sunk her. We took twelve prisoners because they showed signs of remorse on what they had been ordered to do by their king. I spoke to one of the captives and found where their naval fleet is being made and possibly where the headquarters of their naval fleet is located."

"Where are those prisoners now?" Nolfavrell asked.

"They have been escorted to the keep here in Teirm for their sentencing," the young Ranger answered.

"Where are the ships being made?" Arya asked.

"Illium, Shadeslayer."

"We have matters to discuss with you as well, Jayko," King Ajihad said in a commanding tone, all joviality gone.

"Whatever you ask, I shall serve," Jayko answered.

"We need you to come to Ilirea, alone."

Jayko took a deep breath and seemed to be struggling with something on the inside. He looked away from the mirror and sighed. "Of course, my liege," he said after a while.

"When is the soonest that you can be here?" I asked.

Jayko looked at the mirror and replied, "I can leave Teirm in a couple of hours. I need to leave a message with my first mate, gather my armor, and then I shall be ready."

"We await you here in Ilirea," I said.

Arya ended the spell and looked at me curiously. "You seem to have a curious nature when it comes to Captain Jayko," she observed.

"He seems eerily familiar," I said. "How old is he?"

"Seventeen."

"Hmmm," I hummed thoughtfully. _It couldn't be, could it?_

_Luke's POV_

I had just left Äron's sister's house and told him that I had been summoned, by the King and his council, to the capital. When he asked why, I told him that I myself did not know the reason. I told him that he was now in charge of the _Shadow_ until I got back.

I was now sitting in my captain's cabin and looking over maps. If I rode hard, it'd take me four days to reach Ilirea. I rubbed my face and shook my head. _What was so important that they had to tell me in person?_ I thought as I packed my plate armor into a pack. I exited the captain's cabin and went to go and buy a horse. I bought a black quarter horse, a saddle, and reigns. I tied my pack onto the back of the saddle after I had tacked the mare.

I patted the mare's neck gently before I mounted her. I made sure that my feet were secured in the stirrups before I squeezed her sides to a trot. _Seriously, what is up with me and the color black now?_ I questioned myself as I rode out of the city and down the road.

**Four Days Later…**

I slowed the mare down to a walk and patted her neck reassuringly and muttered reassurances that she had done well. I looked up at the wall in front of me that surrounded the city and walked towards a gate. Even though the Varden had defeated the Empire, the uniforms of the army had not changed, much. They were still that red tunic, but instead of Galbatorix's sigil it had the Varden's sigil. I dismounted the black mare that I had named Sciobtha and walked towards the West Gate. I saw the keep and started to head in that direction. _This is going to be a long day,_ I thought.

**Author's Note:**

**I would like to thank RF , Guest, and JC Pad2 (Guest) for reviewing the story.  
><strong>**Please R&R, it's what gives me the motivation to update and write.**


	7. Chapter 7

"_Italics_" = Ancient Language in speech

_Italics _= thoughts, Point of View (POV) switches, or mental communication

**Disclaimer:**__I own nothing nor do I make any money off of this

Chapter 7

_Luke's POV_

I was just about to the gate of the keep when the guards lowered their halberds and pointed them at me. I raised my left hand in a sign of peace, I would've raised both hands but I was holding onto the reigns with my right. "What is your business here?" a guard asked me.

"I was ordered to come here by King Ajihad," I answered. "I'm Jayko."

Both of the guards' eyes widened when I informed them of my identity and they immediately lowered their halberds. "Sorry, sir," the one who had spoken earlier said. "Sorry to keep you waiting, sir."

"You were just doing your job," I informed the duo as I walked past them.

I led Sciobtha to the keep's stables and handed her over to the stable boy. After that was done, I found a guard and asked him to lead me to the throne room. He looked at me with unease and suddenly a voice called out, "I'll take him."

Both the guard and I turned from where we were standing in the stables and saw a girl, roughly my age, she had dirty blonde hair that reached to the middle of her back. Her lips were lush and rosy. Her jawline was very pronounced and proud. She was walking towards the guard and me with an air of confidence and authority. Her eyes were a gentle, light, blue that a man could get lost into forever. She was a good foot shorter than I was but she walked right up to me and stopped in front of me.

"His Majesty is expecting you, Captain," she said in a maternal voice.

"Lead the way, madam," I said bowing.

The girl smiled slightly and turned on her back foot. She led me to a door that was intricately carved. "So, you're the young Ranger that had the whole capital upset," she mused looking back at me.

I smirked and replied, "I am that Ranger, m'lady."

"Is my brother alright?" she asked.

"Your brother?" I asked.

"Äron," she answered.

"Ah," I said nodding my head. "Honestly, without him I'd be lost on what to do. He's fine."

The girl that I assumed to be Julia sighed in relief and introduced herself, "I'm his youngest sister, Julia."

"M'lady," I said bowing my head respectfully as we walked the halls of the keep.

"You're seventeen as well, aren't you?" Julia asked as we turned into a separate corridor. This hallway had pictures depicting the revolution that freed the Broddring Kingdom from Galbatorix's tyranny. "Aye, I am of that age," I answered.

Julia stopped walking and I stopped as well. She turned to face me completely. "At what age did you start your training?" she asked.

"I was ten when I started," I answered. "I'm sure you know that never usually happens."

"Ten?" she asked in pure shock. "Why?"

"I've been told I was accepted because my father wanted me to be," I said with a slight shrug. "I never knew him, yet he knows me."

Julia looked in my eyes, switching back and forth from my left eye to my right as if she was searching for something. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" I asked, perplexed.

"That you never knew your father," Julia answered.

"Don't worry about it," I said with a slight smile. "We should get to the throne room before the King and his council wonders where I'm at."

"Of course, Captain," Julia said turning back around.

"You don't have to call me that," I said as she resumed our march to the throne room.

"Then what shall I call you?" Julia asked coyly.

"Luke is fine," I replied smiling completely now.

We walked the rest of the way in silence until double bronze doors appeared in front of us. There were four guards standing there, two at each door. They relaxed when they saw Julia escorting me to the throne room. The knocked their halberds on the ground five times in unison when we stopped in front of them. The doors opened inward and I turned to Julia. I bowed to her and said, "Thank you for escorting me here, Julia. I am honored to have met your acquaintance." I grabbed her right hand and gently placed a kiss on it and looked into her light blue eyes and said, "Until the next time, _Nuanen_."

I let go of Julia's hand and walked confidently into the throne room. The doors closed behind me and I approached the table that was in the middle of the gigantic room. Around the table I saw Rider Arya and her dragon, Fírnen, General Nolfavrell, King Ajihad, a young man in red plate armor like mine, with the Broddring Kingdom's sigil on the breastplate. I saw the same werecat that had greeted me when I had become a full-fledged Ranger and he smiled at me. "Ah, Captain Jayko," General Nolfavrell said in an air of authority.

"General," I said. I had only met the man once, and I had a strong dislike of him.

"Now that you're here, we should explain why we have brought you to Ilirea in the first place," Arya said.

"Of course, Arya Dröttning," I replied bowing my head in deference to the elven queen and her dragon.

"We have called you here because Surda has taken Belatona," the young man said.

I sighed. "What's the size of the occupation force?" I asked. _I know that General from somewhere_.

"From the sources that we have in Belatona, they're estimated to be three thousand strong," Nolfavrell replied.

"And I'm guessing you want me to lead a covert operation to reclaim the city," I stated, it wasn't a question. I turned to look only at Nolfavrell.

"How-how did you know?" he spluttered.

"He's a Ranger, he's smarter than you give him credit for," the young General spoke. "He's been trained for over half his life, I'm assuming, to think before we think. To conclude the outcome before that outcome ever happens. He's smarter than you'll ever be, General Nolfavrell."

"Listen, boy, I don't get how you raised through the ranks here so quickly, but that does not give you the authority to back talk me!" Nolfavrell growled.

"Yes, yes, it does," the young General said. "I actually outrank you."

"Gentlemen," the King admonished. "Not here."

"Sorry, sire," the young General apologized.

King Ajihad turned to look at me and I to him. "Will you lead it?" he asked me.

"Of course, my liege," I said crossing my right arm over my chest and over my heart. I bowed my head slightly as well. "I just need one other person to go with me."

A shocked silence filled the room to the point of it being uncomfortable. I felt a pressure on my mind's defenses so I let up.

_Are you sure about this, little one?_ A very masculine voice asked me.

I turned to Fírnen and said, "I'm very sure about this. I just need to find the commander and kill him."

"Why just the commander?" the young General asked me.

"Because my Master discovered something two days ago during a mission," I replied. "I was contacted during one of my rest periods that I took from riding. Surdan magicians have figured out how to link the commander to his troops. He sends out orders via his mind and he's away from the conflict but not as far away to the point where he cannot observe and give orders and direction. The only downside, if you kill the commander the entire force that that commander commands dies as well."

"How did _your_ master figure that out?" Nolfavrell spat.

I narrowed my eyes and replied in a quiet, venomous tone, "You disrespect me and my master like that again, and I will duel you." Nolfavrell's eyes widened in shock, but I answered his query anyway. "My Master was patrolling the southern border when he encountered one of these anomalies, albeit in smaller numbers. When he searched the mind of one of the soldiers he found that the thoughts of that soldier weren't his own. He followed the trail of minds and found the commander, killed him, and was shocked when his troops fell with him. Does that answer your query, General?"

"Yes, it does," Nolfavrell said quietly.

"Good."

"Is it worth gambling that will be what is in Belatona?" King Ajihad asked me.

"Not a large force, that's why I'm only asking that the young General there accompanies me," I said.

_Jacen's POV_

This Ranger was insane! I was not trained for these covert operations. King Ajihad stroked his beard thoughtfully and look at me. "What do you think, General Porter?" he asked.

"I think that it's insane!" I said truthfully. "Two men cannot take down three thousand! Plus, I am not trained for these stealth missions."

"We'll work on that, General Porter, on our way to Belatona," Jayko said.

I looked at the king and he shrugged. Glancing at Arya and Fírnen, I knew that they were holding an internal conversation. "Shall we put it to a vote?" Salla asked. This was the first time he had said something the entire meeting that I had entirely forgotten that he was there.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Salla," King Ajihad said. "I vote that it sounds plausible and I say that this operation proceeds."

"I too am for it," Nolfavrell said.

"As am I," Salla said.

"I am not," I said.  
>"I am for it," Arya spoke up.<p>

_I agree with my Rider,_ the emerald dragon spoke to all.

I sighed in defeat and shook my head sadly. "Alright, when do we leave, Captain?" I asked.

"Tomorrow, Jacen," Jayko said. "We'll leave after midday meal, that gives you the opportunity to rest and prepare."

"Jayko, you're dismissed and I shall call on you tonight to dine with me," King Ajihad spoke.

"I look forward to it, my liege," Jayko answered bowing at the waist. He turned towards the double doors and they opened for him.

As he left I turned to the king and asked, "How did he know my name?"

"You haven't figured it out by now?" the king asked me in amazement.

"Figured out what?" I asked, confused.

"Jayko is your twin brother," Arya answered.

I was stunned. "Wow," I murmured.

"You're dismissed, Jacen," the King said. "You're invited to the dinner as well."

"Thank you, your Majesty," I said.

"It'll give you the opportunity to get to know your brother once again," he said.

**Author's Note:**

**The Twins meet after all of this time! Huzzah! Please leave your opinions by reviewing. **

Translations:

**Nuanen:** beautiful (Ancient Language)


	8. Chapter 8

"_Italics_" = Ancient Language in speech

_Italics _= thoughts, Point of View (POV) switches, or mental communication

**Disclaimer:**__I own nothing nor do I make any money off of this

Chapter 8

_Jacen's POV_

I was on my bed going over what had occurred in the throne room and the more that I kept replaying the memories in my mind, the more it appeared that I had missed obvious clues on the true identity of "Jayko." The fact that he had the same build as me, broad shoulders and essentially the same face should've given it away sooner! Back in our hometown, people never got the two of us mixed up because of how Luke and I looked. We may have been of similar stature and had the same facial features, but we had different colored hair and eyes. Luke's hair was black as midnight whereas mine was a medium brown. My twin's eyes were a deep blue while mine were more of a forest green. I looked outside of my windows and saw the ruby sunset in the clouds. With a sigh, I sat up and walked over to my dresser and took off what I had worn to the war council.

I picked a royal blue tunic and a black sash. I quickly put those on and pulled on a pair of black trousers. Boots followed, but I didn't want to go unarmed, so I slipped a dagger into my left boot. A knock sounded on my bedroom door and I walked over to it. I was surprised to see Julia standing there.

"Good evening, General Porter," she greeted me with a curtsy.

"M'lady," I greeted back with a bow. "What can I do for you?"

"You've studied the Ancient Language, correct?" she asked nervously.

"I have," I answered surprised by the question.

"What does _Nuanen_ mean?" she asked.

"It means beautiful, why do you ask?"

"The Ranger Captain, Jayko, said it to me," Julia replied with a blush in her cheeks.

"Ah, is there anything else that I can help you with, m'lady?" I asked.

Julia shook her head and replied, "No, General. I just have orders to take you to Jayko's quarters and then escort the two of you to King Ajihad's private dining hall."

I lifted my right hand in invitation and said gently, "Lead on, m'lady."

Julia smiled and led me down the marble hallways. We did not talk for the entire walk and that was fine with me. I wasn't much of a talker. I preferred action to talking. Julia led me from the marble hallways to the hallways where the floor was a granite instead and the walls where lined with flakes of gold and diamonds. I was surprised when Julia stopped in front of a door and knocked gently on it. These quarters were for important nobles or dignitaries of the Kingdom. The door opened and revealed my older brother. He was dressed in a black tunic, black trousers, black boots, and a black hooded cloak, with the hood down. His deep blue eyes looked over Julia and me.

"What can I do for the two of you?" Jayko, I mean Luke asked.

"I have orders from King Ajihad to escort you and General Porter to his private dining halls for dinner," Julia answered. "That is, if you're ready."

Luke gave a slight smile and said gently, "I'm almost ready, I just need to grab something first."

Julia nodded and Luke disappeared for a while and when he reappeared he had his sword belt strapped onto his waist with only a dagger attached to it over his right hip. "Shall we go?" I asked trying to keep my annoyance out of my voice.

"Of course, General," Luke said looking into my green eyes. "Lead the way, m'lady."

Julia stepped out of the way and let Luke come out of his room. He closed the door and murmured something in the Ancient Language that I didn't quite catch. He nodded in satisfaction and Julia led us back the way she and I had come. Julia led the way with me and Luke walking side by side behind her. I glanced over at my brother and I noticed that his eyes were taking in the surroundings. "It doesn't stop, does it?" I asked him.

"What doesn't stop?" he asked turning his gaze towards me for a brief second before resuming looking around.

"Searching for threats and other dangers," I replied.

Luke chuckled darkly and settled his eyes forward. "That's what seven years of intense around the year training does to a person," he said.

"Why did the Rangers accept you as an apprentice?" I dared to ask.

"Mother never told you?" Luke asked in surprise.

"Told me what?"

Luke whistled, still in surprise, and shook his head slightly. "The only reason that I was accepted to be a Ranger's apprentice was because our father asked the Council to admit me," he explained.

"Our father? Have you met him?" I asked in excitement.

Luke's eyes darkened briefly as we passed a lantern and took a right down into a sloping downward hallway. "No," he answered. "From what I have been told, our father doesn't live with the Rangers."

"That's odd, then why would the Rangers allow you to be admitted by an outsider?"

"For that, brother, I have no answer to."

_Luke's POV_

Julia brought my younger twin and me to a large banquet hall and I couldn't help but think: _This is King Ajihad's private dining hall?_ It was extravagant with what was put into it. There was a large table that could seat fifty to sixty people; Kull and dwarf sized furniture for whenever their dignitaries graced the capital with their presence. At the head of the table was a marble chair, and the sides were benches for now.

In the marble chair was the king. He was dressed in a simple russet colored tunic, black trousers, and black boots. His smile was beaming at the three of us and he beckoned for the three of us to take a seat.

"Luke, Jacen, please take a seat on my right," King Ajihad boomed. "Julia, my dear, you know where to sit by now."

I tried to contain the jealousy that briefly flared through me when the King called Julia "my dear," and I didn't know why I was jealous. I took a seat on the bench next to the King and Jacen sat next to me. "Thank you for the invite to dinner, my liege," I said making a fist in my right hand and crossing it over my chest so that it rested over my heart.

"Think nothing of it," his Majesty said with a dismissive wave.

I relaxed my arm and took a deep breath as Julia sat across from me. "Will any one else be joining us for dinner tonight, Your Majesty?" I asked.

"General Nolfavrell and his aide."

"My liege," Jacen spoke up.

"Yes, General?" the King asked looking at my twin with a twinkle in his eye.

"Do you know who our father is?" he asked.

My eyes widened and I turned to glare at my brother. My eyes narrowed as our eyes met. _You have no right to ask that question of his Majesty!_ I sent to him.

_I believe that you, Ben, and I are entitled to some answers for once in our lives, don't you? Or did the Ranger Corps take away any ounce of curiosity that you had left from childhood?_ Jacen retorted.

My blue eyes left his green ones as I turned back to face the King. I noticed that he was relaxing into the marble chair slightly more and it was in such a way that he seemed to be slipping out of his chair.

"If I were you, General, I would ask another question," said King Ajihad.

"I apologize for my brother's question, my liege," I said bowing my head submissively.

"No need for an apology, Captain," the King said with a wave. "It was an innocent question."

"Then why won't you answer it?" Jacen asked.

"It is not my place to answer it," his Majesty answered.

"Why the color black?" I asked abruptly.

"What?" both Jacen and King Ajihad asked.

"Why is my armor, cloak, and practically every article of clothing I own the shade of black?" I asked.

"Because, Captain Porter," Nolfavrell's voice cut through the room, like wind through trees. "It signifies that you are a cold blooded, calculating, killer."

I turned and saw the General walk in with a taller man that was armed with two broadswords on his back. This was the most giant of a man that I had ever laid eyes upon. He was heavily muscled and he walked quietly for someone of his size. "Aye, I'm calculating on who I kill and do not kill, General," I said in an even voice. "But I am not cold blooded just yet."

The General laughed and sat down at the end of the table in a chair, a very simplistic one. Behind him was the mountain of a man. "Not yet?" the General repeated. "But soon."

"I'm thinking about it," I growled.

"You're nothing without your father's lineage or legacy, boy! Without him you would have just been a bastard sleeping in the mud and probably fucking whores in the back alleys!"

My eyes narrowed and I replied in a deathly quiet voice, "Watch your words, General, or I'll make you watch briefly as your body wanders around briefly without a head."

"Is that a threat against a King's Councilman?" Nolfavrell demanded.

"Gentlemen that's enough!" boomed King Ajihad's deep voice. "General Nolfavrell, what you said is quite out of line for one in your position! Captain Porter, please refrain from threatening my advisors!"

"How 'bout I just not threaten 'im then?" I asked still glaring at General Nolfavrell.

"No murdering my advisors either, Captain!"

"It won't be murder if I challenge him to a duel, no would it?" I asked maintaining my glare. I happily noticed that the General slightly paled.

"That is well within your rights," the King consented reluctantly with a sigh.

"Well then," I said standing up. "I challenge you General Nolfavrell son of Vran to a duel. When your aide falls, I will challenge you again. I don't take slights to my honor slightly."

General Nolfavrell paled noticeably this time and he looked at the King as if he could stop the duel. "You know what will happen if you refuse, General," Jacen put in. "Everyone will question your ability to protect them from harm and to lead them."

"I accept," General Nolfavrell huffed. "_If_ my aide falls, then I shall fight you, Captain."

I laughed humorlessly and said, "Well, how about tomorrow mornin'?"

"Fine!" General Nolfavrell spat standing up and walking out of the dining hall.

King Ajihad sighed and shook his head sadly. "That was foolish of him to say those things," he said.

"Look at it this way," I said sitting back down and watching as servants brought in the meal. "Nolfavrell caused it himself, if he cannot hold his tongue with me how will he deal with others?"

"My brother has a point, Your Majesty," Jacen said. "From what I've understood the General was only appointed to your council because of another councilman's death. Am I correct?"

"Yes, you are," the King acknowledged.

"He hasn't met with Urgals or Kull yet, can you imagine what would happen if he had insulted their honor or their ways?" Jacen asked.

"We would have two armies to worry about," Julia said. She had been so quiet that I had forgotten that she was here!

"Let us forget about these troubles and focus on our meal," the King said.

"You didn't answer my question about the shade of black," I said.

"Black is the absence of color, therefore you are the embody the absence of whatever color our enemies hope to use. For instance, white as hope, we use you as a counterbalance. Any color is absent in you," the King said with a sigh as he met my eyes. "By default, you are the highest ranking Ranger that has ever lived, because you are also the most skilled one that has been trained so far."

"What about Elder Thínor and Elder Aelmrail?" I asked.

"Overall they aren't as well balanced as you, each as admitted that to me in separate letters. They see you as the scion of the Ranger Corps."

I became quiet, all of my questions sated for now. "Thank you, my liege," I said bowing my head.

The King nodded and began eating the meal in front of him. The three of us remaining in the hall followed suit.

_Ben's POV_

The _Shadow_ cut through the coming waves like a warm knife through butter. First Mate Äron had informed the crew that the King had summoned the Captain, my brother, to Ilirea. We also learned that Belatona had been taken by the Surdans and that had been met with shouts of dismay. Our orders remained firm from Luke though: sink any Surdan ship that came across our path and give no quarter.

I was in my new position, the crow's nest looking for Surdan vessels. If I found one, I would ring the bell that was up here twice. It was just becoming the dawn of the second day since we had left Teirm and we still hadn't found any Surdan ships on our voyage south. I turned my spyglass to the west and watched again found nothing. I slammed the spyglass closed in frustration and closed my eyes.

Turning my gaze to the east, I watched as the sun rose over the horizon and wondered what Luke was up to.

_Jacen's POV_

"You're insane!" I exclaimed when I saw my brother emerge from his room with only a sword and dagger strapped to his waist over his trousers and tunic, which were black once again.

"I know," he replied with a crooked smile that I had not seen since our childhood back home.

"That aide will slice you to pieces if you don't have any armor on!" I cried.

"Alright, ye of little faith, appearances aren't all that they seem," Luke chided me.

"I just don't understand why you're taking on that mountain of a man with no armor!"

"More mobility," Luke replied. "You saw how heavily muscled he was. With that much muscle, I can count on the fact that his blows will be power oriented, meaning that if I move swiftly enough and dodge his blows, I can end the fight before it truly evolves into a conflict."

"What about General Nolfavrell?" I asked. "Taking him on without armor is reckless and full of stupidity."

My older twin snorted and shook his head scornfully. "Jacen, just shut up and escort me to where the duels will be happening," he said.

"These aren't to the death, are they?" I asked worrying for my brother.

"That's up to, His Majesty."

"What other options are there?"

"Well, the aide could yield, I could yield, which I would never do might I add," Luke said as we walked outside. "If neither yields than it goes to incapacitation or death."

"Incapacitation?" I asked.

"Severe maiming," clarified my brother.

"Ah, don't get maimed then."

Luke laughed hard when I said that and I frowned. When he stopped laughing, my brother wiped his eyes and clasped my left shoulder with his right hand. "Don't worry, Jacen," he said. "I've got this."

"You better," I muttered.

We arrived at an area that was roped off. There was a bit of rubble that was left as a memorial from when the Varden had conquered the Empire. The area was in the shape of a hexagon and Luke was busy rolling his neck and jumping softly. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Getting loose," he answered.

I only nodded and looked at the other side of the roped off area. The aide that my brother was going to be dueling was dressed in chainmail and the Kingdom's tunic. He had a large axe in his hands and a dagger strapped to each hip. General Nolfavrell was standing next to him in armor similar to mine, only his was had gold that outlined the pauldrons, greaves, and bracers. He had a kite shield strapped on his back and a sword strapped onto his right hip.

King Ajihad walked forward with Salla by his side. "We are here today because Captain Jayko has felt that his honor has been insulted," he said. "In the event that Taravan is killed or yields, General Nolfavrell will duel the Captain."

I wondered who he was addressing and then I noticed people trickling in to watch. I looked over at Luke and he shrugged. "Word must've gotten out and people are interested in what I can do," he said. "They already have heard about me and they want to see what I'm made of."

"Have you ever fought in front of this many people?" I asked.

"Less, but there have to be at least one hundred people along the edges of the roped off area by now," my twin answered. "At the academy we had weekly tournaments among the apprentices. So I'm used to this type of attention during fighting."

"Why did you go by Jayko?" I asked.

"To tell you the truth, that's what I called myself at the academy when other apprentices and Masters asked me my name," Luke answered as he squatted down and collected some dirt from the ground and rubbed it around in his hands. "I didn't want to admit that I was a bastard and be ostracized more than I already had due to how young I was."

"That bad, huh?"

"As I got older the solitude was actually what I sought," replied Luke. "As I became more proficient at what I did, people sought me out to tutor them, help them. I did of course, but I didn't like the concept of friendship. Don't ask why, I just didn't."

"How do you feel about companionship now?" I dared to ask my twin.

"I'm indifferent," he answered as he stood up. Luke rolled his neck one more time and I heard it crack a couple of times.

"Good luck, brother," I said.

"I make my own luck," said Luke as he walked to the roped off section.

_Luke's POV_

I ducked underneath the rope and drew my dagger first and switched the grip to a reversed one. My opponent walked into the arena and he looked at me and appeared to be puzzled at my lack of armor. "This is first chance to yield," I said.

Taravan laughed and swung his axe a couple of times. "You are foolish if you think that I will yield," he scolded me in a higher voice than I thought for someone of his size.

"Very well," I said unsheathing my sword with my right hand. "Shall we?"

Although I had expected my opponent to use the swords that he had had with him last night at dinner, the axe was unexpected, but easily dealt with. He held the axe in front of him in a defensive position and I struck with my sword and dagger. I hooked them around the axe, spun around and as my opponent stumbled forward. As he stumbled forward I stabbed him through the back with my dagger and sword. Blood welled from the wounds and stained the sand red. A gurgle emerged from my opponent's mouth and I yanked my weapons out and turned to face General Nolfavrell just as the body hit the ground.

I took in the General's face and saw fear in his eyes. _Good,_ I thought._ He should be afraid. I kind of hoped that Taravan would have yielded so that this wouldn't have happened._  
>General Nolfavrell strapped his shield onto his right arm and unsheathed his sword. He stepped under the ropes and approached me. His eyes darted to my sword and dagger and I knew he was looking at the droplets of blood that were falling onto the sand. "His death is on you," I said. "You could have just accepted my challenge instead of pushing it onto your aide."<p>

General Nolfavrell's eyes flashed briefly before grief took over the eyes. "Don't you think I realize that now?" he snarled.

"Shall we?" I asked reversing the grip on my dagger once again.

With a cry, General Nolfavrell charged at me with his sword raised high and shield out in front of him. He swung an overhead slash at me and I just leaned out of the way. I spun on my left foot and brought my sword around in a slashing maneuver. General Nolfavrell caught the blow on his shield and I attacked with my dagger, which he blocked with his sword. I kicked him away and switched my grip on my sword so that it was in a reverse grip as well. I moved my sword and dagger in a complex series of movements that were so quick that the General could not keep track of the blades. I leapt into the air and kept the blade movements going. As I was in the air, I flipped over my opponent and threw my dagger.

I heard a gasp from the gathered crowd as I landed. I spun around as soon as my feet made contact with the ground. I reversed grip on my sword as I spun and twirled it at my side. I saw that my dagger had been embedded in the right juncture of where the neck met the shoulder of the General's body. The dagger had found a sweet spot where the pauldron there failed to protect the vulnerable flesh. The General turned to face me and our eyes met.

"Do you yield, General?" I asked.

"I will never yield to bastard filth like you!" growled General Nolfavrell.

I sighed and said, "I had hoped otherwise."

The General tried to raise his right arm and found that he could not. I had severed the trapezius muscle and some nerves. With a snarl, the General sliced the shield off of his arm and charged at me. I evaded his charge with a simple sidestep to my left and as he passed me, I stabbed backwards with my sword. I felt a moment of resistance from my sword before it passed through armor, flesh, bone, flesh, and armor again. I tugged _Freohr _out of my opponent and turned around. I walked in front of the General and he was gasping for breath as his body struggled to remain alive.

"You lasted longer than your aide," I said quietly so that only he would hear me. "Rest now, and be at peace."

Blood spilt out of the General's mouth as he opened it, but no words came out as I spun. I heard a thud and then another. I pulled a cloth from my belt and wiped my sword clean and then sheathed it. I then turned to the carcass of the fallen General and pulled out my dagger, wiped the blade clean of blood and sheathed it as well. I knelt down by the body and said, "_Rest well and find your peace no matter how long it takes_."

_Jacen's POV_

I approached my brother as he stood up from his kneeling position. "Luke?" I asked softly.

"Yeah?" he asked as he turned to face me.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, just telling General Nolfavrell to find his peace and rest."

I looked my brother up and down with a weary eye. There wasn't a scratch on him. "How did you make your weapons move so quickly?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, it's just something that I've been able to due since I was thirteen," Luke answered walking over to me and clasping me on my left shoulder. "I've always been stronger and faster than I think I should be for some reason. Acrobatic maneuvers like I pulled are something I feel like no human should be able to do either."

_How many times do you have to do something like that before you realize that you're not fully human?_ Salla's voice drawled in my head.

"What?" I asked Salla.

"Salla and I have had this talk before," Luke said glancing at the werecat. "He called me a Halfling."

"A Halfling?" I asked perplexed.

"Yeah, I've never heard of the term either."

_It means that you're half human. How dense can you be?_

"Half human?" I spluttered.

"Dense!" exclaimed Luke, clearly affronted.

Salla looked at the two of us. _How many hints do the two of you need? Superior strength, speed, agility, magical ability, and stamina! The two of you really are dense creatures._

I looked over at Luke and did notice that he hadn't even broken out into a sweat during his duels and he wasn't even panting. Luke looked around before looking me in the eyes. "You've experienced odd things as well?" he asked.

"Yes, similar things to you," I said. "I've always noticed that I've been a faster runner than others, stronger and have better stamina. As for magical ability, I've never really been taught but I know it's there."

Luke looked over at Salla who was in his cat for and licking his front left paw nonchalantly. "Have you ever talked to Ben?" he asked, his voice hard.

_No._

"Good, make sure it stays that way," said my twin.

"Luke, what are you thinking?" I asked.

"Remember stories about Eragon Shadeslayer after the _Agaetí Blödhren_?" he asked.

"Yeah, what does that have to do about anything?"  
>"How it is told that he became elf-like in appearance, enhanced physically like an elf, but still had human features?"<p>

"Yes, I still don't see where you're going with this."

"Halfling…" Luke mused. "Not derogatory, but welcoming."

"Damn it, get to the point!" I said exasperated.

"What if our father was an elf?" Luke said meeting my eyes again.

_Luke's POV_

I waited for my brother's answer. What I had just proposed sounded ludicrous! "That just doesn't even seem plausible," Jacen said.

_But it is,_ Salla said.

_Damn it Salla, can you stay out of this?_ I asked. The werecat growled and stood up before walking away.

"If our father is an elf, why didn't we grow up in Du Weldenvarden?" Jacen asked.

"I think only our mother can answer that," I said.

"We'll have to visit her some time," Jacen said running a hand through his hair.

"Aye, I haven't seen her in seven years, almost eight."

"Close to six for me," my brother said.

"We'll visit her after we've retaken Belatona," I decided.

"You make it sound so easy," Jacen said.

I shrugged and asked, "You packed?"

"Yes."

"Good, let's go get our things and get a move on."

**Author's Note:**

**And the twin's finally figure out there lineage. A big thank you to **_RF_ **for the reviews, they keep me motivated and going.**


	9. Chapter 9

"_Italics_" = Ancient Language in speech

_Italics _= thoughts, Point of View (POV) switches, or mental communication

**Disclaimer:**__I own nothing

Chapter 9

_Luke's POV_

It was nearing sundown as Jacen and I got ready for our raid on Belatona. It had taken us a week to get to the enemy controlled city, not because of a lack of haste but because I had to train my twin on stealth and secrecy. The quickest way, I found, was to share my memories and implant them into his on how to move in the shadows and use them to his advantage.

We were both currently behind an outcrop of rubble that was left over from when the Varden had laid siege to the city almost three hundred and fifty years ago now. When the people of the city had been liberated, they had to find a place to put the rubble, so they placed it outside of the city about a quarter of a mile to the east of the wall that protected the inhabitants. Jacen was sitting on what once was a buttress of the keep and I was sitting on a gargoyle. "Do you think that we're ready?" Jacen asked.

"No," I answered knowing what he was asking about. He wasn't asking about this mission, he was asking about the war.

"I don't think that we are either," my twin answered. "Surda seems to be prepared for it though."

"Aye," I answered. "Hopefully we can fight them to a stalemate and make them come to terms."

"We both know that will never happen."

"One can hope."

"And what will you do when that hope gets shattered?"

I met my brother's eyes and answered, "Then I'll find something else to hold on to."

"We should get our armor on," Jacen said standing up and walking over to the horses.

I nodded my agreement, glanced once more at the captive city, and stood up. I stretched my sore muscles and joints before I joined him at the horses. I took my pack off of Sciobtha and removed my plate armor from it. I took off my sword belt, cloak, and tunic before I placed my chainmail on. The metal rings felt cold against my bare torso and arms, but not unbearably cool.

The first things that I put on after the chainmail were a pair off cuisses to protect each of my thighs. They protected the front and the back of each thigh, while my chainmail shirt protected the top of my thighs. A poleyn protected my knees, and I clamped greaves over the shins of my boots, and sabatons on top of each foot. My right sabaton had a small groove in it where if I wished a small blade could be placed and would be used to deadly effect with a kick. Alas, I did not have that blade with me. I never had it forged before I left Sharktooth. I strapped on a codpiece to stop any debilitating attacks down there and put on my cuirass. A fauld was strapped onto the cuirass to protect my waist and hips.

Next came the spaulders, which protected my shoulders from any attacks that would come my way. Pauldrons were similar to spaulders, but tended to be larger and cover more area. I preferred spaulders because they allowed for more mobility. I attached the rerebraces next, which protected my upper arms. Those were followed by a couter on each elbow, although these didn't protect the inside of my elbows, the chainmail would do that for me. Bracers covered the outside of my forearms and I tightened those to my liking.

I looked up from what I was doing and saw that Jacen was on pace with me. I was a bit worried on how to hide his blood red armor while mine was black, albeit with a silver etching of a raven on my breastplate. I bent down and picked up my sword belt and strapped it around my waist. I then grabbed my holsters for my pistols and strapped them over my torso as well. I put on a flat gorget that would protect my vulnerable, fleshy, neck and moved my head around to see if it hindered my movement. Satisfied when it did not, I picked up the final pieces of my armor, the two black gauntlets. My left gauntlet had small spikes in three places, an inspiration of the dwarves' Ascûdgamln.

As this was the first time wearing this armor, I expected to be weighed down by it but it felt like I wasn't wearing any armor at all. I picked up my hooded cloak and put that on as well, flipping my hood up. I looked at my twin and saw that he was ready for combat as well.

"It's going to be damn near impossible to hide your armor at night," I pointed out.

"What are we going to do about it?" Jacen asked placing his barbute helm on.

"Hold on," I muttered. I reached into the melanite on the cross guard of _Freohr_ and drew out a decent amount of energy. "_Remove all color from _Jacen's_ armor._" I felt the energy drain and looked at my brother to see what would happen. I wasn't expecting it to fully work, so when it just turned gray, that was all right with me.

"This was what you wanted?" asked my brother placing his hands on his hips.

"No," I said honestly. "I was hoping that since black is the absence of all color that by removing the color from your armor it would turn black. I guess I should have reworded the spell."

"No more magic, please," begged Jacen. "You need your strength for what we have coming."

I smirked and un-holstered my two pistols to check if they were loaded. Satisfied that they were, I holstered them and climbed the pile of rubble and looked over to the wall.

_Jacen's POV_

I climbed up after my older twin and looked at the city. "What are you thinking?" I asked.

"We should start to move," Luke answered.

"It's still light out!" I protested.

"Barely," Luke said. He had a point, the outline of the Spine was seen on the horizon with the sun setting.

"So what then do you suggest?" I questioned him.

"Stick to the shadows," he answered with a smile.

I shook my head as Luke stood up and bolted towards the city. _And so it begins…_ I thought as I stood up and followed my brother. He reached the base of the wall where a culvert was and he wasn't even breathing heavily. Luke glanced up to the top of the wall at the ramparts and I saw his lips purse in thought.

"How are we going to get up there?" I asked him.

"You know how to use magic?" he asked.

"A little bit," I confessed. "Not much."

"Alright, do you know how to kill with it?" asked my brother looking me in the eyes. At least I think he was, it was hard to tell with his hood creating a shadow on his face.

"No."

Luke sighed and looked up at the ramparts again as he said, "Well, as a crash course then, a simple curse of death is _Deyja_."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Die," answered Luke simply.

"Oh," I said my voice small.

"Now, the matter at hand," Luke said looking back at me. "In order to get to the top of the ramparts we'll need to fly up there."  
>I wanted to laugh, but I sensed that my twin was serious. "How do you suggest we do that then?"<p>

I saw Luke's mouth curve into a smile and he said, "_Flauga_." He then shot up fifty feet into the air before he stopped and looked down at me.

_You've got to be kidding me!_ I thought. I pointed my right hand down at the ground and muttered, "_Flauga_."

I, too, shot into the air and passed Luke on my up. I saw the edge of the rampart and said, "_Letta_." My hands grasped the wall and I dangled there, my heart thundering in my rib cage so loud I could hear it.

Luke landed gracefully on the rampart and knelt down to help me up. I accepted the help and he looked around. I was about to ask him something when he put his right index finger to his mouth. _Be silent._ He told me.

_Sorry, but what are you looking for?_ I asked him.

_I'm not sure yet, but something doesn't feel right,_ he replied.

_Like what? _I asked.

_Where are the guards? The snipers? This is too easy,_ Luke replied.

_What's that supposed to insinuate?_

_It means, I informed my crew that Belatona was taken but I didn't inform them how many men were coming to reclaim it nor did I say that it was going to be reclaimed. The only ones who knew where there when…_

_When what? _

_When I was brought to the throne room, slash, war room. _Luke finally replied. _There's a traitor in the King's house._

_That's impossible, everyone in that room swore an oath to protect the Kingdom and His Majesty! We all swore to never betray his wishes nor his trust!_

_Oaths can be broken when the person changes._ said Luke.

_What do you mean?_ I asked him as he walked in the shadows of one rampart to the next until he reached the wheelhouse for the gate.

_An oath sworn in the Ancient Language can be broken when the person's True Name changes. When that occurs, any oaths that person swore up to that point are null and void._

_Why?_ I asked.

_How am I supposed to know why it works that way?_ demanded Luke. _We need to focus, we have a job to do._

_Can we discuss this topic later then?_

_If we survive the ambush that lies ahead,_ Luke answered.

I blinked in shock. _Ambush?_ I thought. I couldn't help but wonder how my older twin had come up with that conclusion. I had just thought that the guards were patrolling another section of the wall at the moment when Luke and I ascended to the top of the wall. I guess that is where my fault in thinking is. I wasn't as thoroughly trained to think of all angles as Luke was and find the most plausible, as well as the most dangerous.

Luke unlocked the door to the gatehouse and I didn't hear anything that dictated that things were going sour for this mission. Luke emerged shortly after and shook his head in dismay. _What?_ I sent him.

_Where the hell are they?_ he asked.

_What do you mean?_

_There was nobody in there, Jacen. It's like they knew we were coming._

_If they know that we're coming, why are they hiding?_

_Because they want us to surrender._

_Why would we do that?_

_They would've taken hostages, Jace, we can't let them come to harm._

_What are we going to do?_

_I am going to turn myself in. You are going to lock yourself in the gatehouse and contact His Majesty and inform him that he has a traitor in his midst._

_I can't just leave you, Luke!_

_That is an order, Jace. I can force you into the room and lock it you in there myself but that would waste energy and time that we do not have._

_They'll kill you, you know?_

Luke shook his head and sent me, _No, they wont. _

_How can you be so sure?_

_I'm not,_ Luke answered before turning away and jumping down the wall onto a rooftop, that was a good twenty feet down from where I was standing, of a nearby house.

"Be safe," I murmured as I turned to the gatehouse and entered it.

_Luke's POV_

I rolled as I hit the rooftop and as I reached the edge of the roof, I twisted my body and grabbed the edge of the roof. I was now facing the house and I saw that a windowsill was a good drop beneath me and I took a deep breath and let go of the edge of the roof. As I fell, I used a spell to slow my descent and I grabbed the windowsill.

I peeked inside and saw that it was empty. I pulled myself up and through the window, entering the house. I unsheathed my sword and dagger as I advanced through the house. I heard a creak from the hallway I had just come from and I searched with my mind and found a Surdan walking towards me. "Figures," I muttered under my breath.

I turned back to face the doorway and watched as the Surdan walked right by me. There wasn't a light in the room I was in, but still I figured he would've at least checked the room.

"Any sign of that Ranger yet?" a voice asked.

"None," another answered.

"The Commander won't be pleased," the first voice said.

"Do you think Nolfavrell's information was incorrect?" the second said.

My eyes widened. Nolfavrell had been a traitor! "He hasn't led us astray yet," the first voice said.

"Well, the Kingdom's General had been surprised when that Ranger mentioned that he knew what our magicians have managed to create with the Commanders."

"Hopefully we can capture him before he gets to the Commander."

"It's a good thing that only a few Commanders are linked like that, huh?"

I advanced slowly and bumped into something. A table, I think. A vase hit the ground and shattered. _Damn it!_ I cursed.

"Did you hear that?"

"It came from that room!"

_Brisingr!_ I thought angrily. Silver flames leapt forward and engulfed the room as the Surdans burst into the room. The Surdans cursed as the flash of fire momentarily blinded them. I took the opening and threw my dagger at the Surdan on the left, catching him in the throat. I charged at the one on my right and twirled under his weak attempt to gut me. I raised up and my face was in his as I ran him threw. Blood came started to spluttered out of his mouth and down his front as the fire of life left his eyes.

I yanked my sword out of the corpse and wiped the blade with the cloth that I always carried. I walked over to the other soldier as I sheathed my sword and pulled the dagger out of his throat, wiped the blade clean, and sheathed it as well. Hopefully, this would get the military's attention and they'd come and get me.

_After all, a burning house is a bit hard to ignore,_ I thought as I walked out of the room and found the stairs at the end of the hallway. I walked throughout the house and found the front door. I walked out of the house and was greeted by a thicket of spear points. "Hello there," I said mockingly.

A man stepped forward, he was wearing orange, elaborate plate armor. "Surrender, Ranger!" he demanded.

"Why would I do that?" I asked knowing exactly why he wanted me to surrender.

"I'll kill hostages if you do not," the man said with irritation.

"How do I know that you haven't already?" I demanded.

"You don't."

"Then I cannot surrender."

"Men! Attack!" the Surdan ordered. The men hesitated and the man turned to look at his troops. "What the hell are you doing? Attack him!"

I laughed darkly. "They don't want to attack me because they know who I am," I said still with a hint of dark amusement. "Don't you, Commander?"

The man flinched and looked at me before demanding, "How do you know that I'm the commanding officer and not a decoy?"

"Do you really think I can't read your thoughts, fool?" I drawled. The man paled and I smirked. "I have a proposition for you."

"What?"

"You and me, one on one," I said. "You beat me, I'll surrender. I beat you, you surrender and you leave the city."

"Why would I agree to that? We have you outnumbered!" the Commander demanded.

"Because, if you care at all about the lives of three thousand men you will agree to it!" I snarled.

"You know nothing, Ranger!"

"That's where you're wrong," I said quietly. "If I kill you, the men under your command will perish."

The man's eyes widened and I knew I had scored a point there. He drew a broadsword from his left hip and charged at me. I un-holstered a pistol and shot him between the eyes as he advanced. His head snapped back as blood exploded from the bullet wound on his forehead. The men that surrounded me with spears staggered back and started to collapse on the ground. I closed my eyes and felt a flicker of remorse for the briefest of seconds, and then it vanished. _He chose his own fate,_ I thought. _Along with the fate of his men._

_**Then why do you feel guilty?**_a small part of me asked.

_Jacen's POV_

I was pacing around the gatehouse and I was slowly going insane. Luke had been gone for close to an hour now. Then, as clear as day, a single shot rang out. A single shot! _Damn it, I'm not waiting any longer!_ I thought.

I kicked down the door of the gatehouse and saw the house that Luke had jumped down onto was on fire and to my horror, I saw Luke standing surrounded in front of that house. He had a pistol drawn and a man in orange plate armor lay on the ground bleeding from his head a good four feet from my twin. I watched as the men surrounding Luke started to collapse and I reached out with my mind and found the men dying or dead. "My gods!" I whispered in shocked horror as the pieces melded together.

Luke had killed the Commander of the Surdans that had occupied Belatona, meaning that all of the soldiers he was connected to died as a result. I watched still in silent horror as the men died, one by one they collapsed. I saw Luke glance down at the body of the Commander and then at his pistol before he threw the pistol away in apparent disgust. _What happened to you, brother?_ I thought.

_Ben's POV_

A Surdan vessel was heading our way as we neared the borders of Surda and the Broddring Kingdom. It was massive compared to the _Shadow_. I rang the bell twice and men scrambled below on the deck to their battle stations. _This is bad,_ I thought as I climbed out of the crow's nest and down to the main deck.

"How big is the ship, Ben?" a man asked as he approached.

"Almost as big as the _Deadshot_," I answered.

Groans came from the men and Äron shut them up by yelling, "Silence! Think of what the Captain would say if he heard us groaning like a bunch of pups before they're weaned from their bitches! Man up! The Kingdom needs us to act like men, so we shall! Man the port side cannons, and prepare the mortars!"  
>"Aye, aye, sir!" the crew yelled as the scrambled to do as ordered.<p>

"Ben! Get your ass over here!" Äron yelled to me.

I ran over to the wheel and stopped next to the first mate. "Yes, sir?" I asked.

"When we get within range of that ship, I want you to take the wheel," Äron said.

"Of course, sir," I said nodding my head.

"Good," Äron said, obviously pleased. He looked to the port side as the Surdan ship sliced through the waves and towards us. "FIRE THE MORTARS!"

The booming of the mortars resounded and I took the wheel as Äron went down below and I instinctively knew what to do. The mortars hit the incoming ship and I saw wood fly through the air. I turned the wheel hard to the port side and aligned us so that we were port to port with the ship. Äron came back and retook the wheel and nodded at me.

"Good job, kid," he said.

"Where did you go, sir?" I asked.

"Tell the gunners to take out the cannons on the other ship," the first mate answered.

"Of course, sir," I nodded and backed away.

"FIRE!" the first mate bellowed and twenty cannons blasted off in sync. Wood, metal, and the smell of gunpowder filled my senses.

The cannons on the enemy vessel fired as well, and a few shots missed us, while others bounced off of the hull. Äron smirked and I seemed to understand that my oldest brother and paid for the highest quality of hull armor. The outer hull was a mix of steel and the hardest wood in all of Alagaësia, resulting in a nearly impenetrable barrier for the cannonballs to get past.

"FIRE AT WILL!" Äron roared to everyone manning the cannons.

I heard something whistling towards us and I tackled Äron to the ground. A small cannonball shot from a swivel cannon hit where the first mate had been standing. "Thanks, Ben," Äron said. "I owe you one."

"No you don't," I said.

Another whistling sound was heard and one of the men on the poopdeck with us wasn't so lucky. He was hit through the chest with the swivel shot. He dropped to the deck and blood pooled out of the massive wound. I noticed his dropped musket and crawled over to it. I picket it up and peered over the edge of the poopdeck. The ship was closer than I had thought. I took a deep breath, stood up, and shot the musket. I watched as the shot found its mark and the man at the swivel cannon on the Surdan vessel fell to the deck of his ship with a bullet hole in his head. I dropped back down, took a grappling hook and attached it to the musket, stood back up, and threw the musket. The musket got caught in the rope ladder leading up to the platforms on the Surdan vessel's mizzenmast and I took the rope from the grappling hook and looked down at Äron and said, "I'll be back."

"Don't you do it!" he growled as I jumped and swung towards the enemy vessel. "BEN!"

**Author's Note:**

**Haven't updated in what feels like a while. Sorry **_**RF**_**. Hope ya forgive me. See you with Chapter 10! **


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